China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: work at western route yet to begin: Senate body

Senate Standing Committee on Communication on Thursday complained that construction work at western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is yet to be started while work on Eastern route is going on quite speedily.
The committee meeting held here under the chairmanship of Senator Mohammad Daud Khan Achakzai, was informed by Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Shahid Ashraf Tarar that construction of western route of the project was among the top priorities of the government. Tarar added that NHA has started construction work on Hakla-DI Khan road. Chairman committee lamented that since 2014, the government has failed to fill 171 posts created under Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package by the then Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government in postal service department for Balochistan's people.
Member committee Senator Usman Khan Kakar said that the federal government was apparently not interested in constructing the Western route, which is evident from no activities on the prescribed route while round the clock work was underway on eastern route.
Giving the construction work details on CPEC's Western route, NHA chief said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had already performed the groundbreaking ceremony of Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) Motorway.
This project, he said, is an important part of Western Route of CPEC and the 285 kilometers long Hakla-DI Khan motorway will be completed within two years at a cost of more than Rs 142 billion.
He said the project alignment started at Hakla, near Tarnol interchange on M-1 and passed through Fateh Jhang, Mianwali, Kundal and ends at Yarak at Indus Highway (N-55).
He said the alignment of motorway passed through developing areas and its construction will generate new employment opportunities. The NHA chief said ground breaking of the up-gradation of Zhob-Mughalkot section was performed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in December 2015.
He said up-gradation of Zhob-Quetta highway had also been realised and work on Sorab-Hoshab section was in progress. He said 193 Km Hoshab -Turbat-Gwadar portion had been completed and rehabilitation of DI Khan-Mughalkot section of N-50 would be completed by 2018.
He said dualisation of 531 km DI Khan to Kuchlak section of N-50 would be operational by 2020. About dualisation of 211 km Quetta-Kalat-Surab section, he said that the project was planned to be completed by 2020.
The objective of the CPEC was to promote trade ties with neighbouring countries including Central Asian States and South Asian countries, which would ultimately prepare to make Pakistan a trade hub in this whole region, he maintained.