CPEC to revolutionize AJK’s economic landscape

MIRPUR: Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan said Monday that the Gawadar Port will be the gateway for economic development of the region.

The President made these remarks in a statement issued on Monday on the International Gawadar Expo 2018.

Masood said under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the country will enter a new phase of economic development and will be a key player in the economic transformation of the region. CPEC is not only a connectivity road but brings with it major development projects focusing on power generation, the establishment of industrial zones, technical cooperation in the fields of agriculture, banking, and science and technology.

He added that CPEC would help generating employment and prosperity for the people of the country. Under this initiative, he said, the vision of One Belt One road would become a reality helping establish Pakistan’s economic linkages with Central Asian States.

The President thanked the Chinese companies and Government for prioritizing development projects in Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

The President informed that AJK had now become a formal part of the CPEC and major development projects had been earmarked for completion.

He said that under the auspices of CPEC Kohala Hydropower Project, Karot Hydropower Project were under completion.

He added that a state of the art Industrial Zone would be established in Mirpur which would be connected to the main CPEC route at Mansehra through an Expressway.

The Expressway will connect major districts of the state with the country helping to provide modern connectivity and logistic support to industries within AJK.

The President invited investors to explore avenues in the developing economic landscape of the state.

He said Azad Kashmir has rich deposits of minerals like granite, phosphate, graphite, bentonite, bauxite, gold and coal, in varying quantities, along with some of the finest reserves of ruby, sapphire, topaz and tourmaline.

Through research, enterprise, use of sophisticated machinery and public-private partnerships, minerals can be extracted through modern means to gain maximum output, he said.

The President told that in the next 10 years, AJK is planning to generate 8000 MW of electricity out of which 3000 MW projects are under different phases of implementation and planning.

President Masood Khan said that we are focusing on developing skilled human resource to meet the challenges of the growing job market and employment opportunities to be generated under CPEC and other development projects.