'FWO has taken challenge to connect Gwadar Port with rest of the country'

Pakistan military said on Wednesday that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has taken the challenge to connect dividends of Gwadar Port with the rest of the country through road network - part of western alignment of Pakistan China Economic Corridor (CPEC) - that will be completed within the stipulated time.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesperson, the FWO took the challenge on the directives of Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Raheel Shareef and so far 16 people including six military and 10 civilians have lost their lives in security related incidents. "In the line of duty, FWO has sustained 16 Shaheed (6 military personal and 10 civilian employees) and 29 severely injured in 136 securities related incidents. Whole nation fully recognize these sacrifices for noble national cause", the spokesperson added.
FWO took the challenge to connect dividends of Gwadar Port with the rest of country through road network, which later became part of western alignment of CPEC. The spokesperson said that the strategic and economic stature of the project is same as of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and the project encompasses construction of 870 kilometers of road. Deployment was approved in February 2014 and FWO units mobilised on site in March 2014. Presently, the spokesperson said that 11 units are employed on Balochistan Projects while unprecedented efforts were made for mobilisation of manpower and equipment on project sites and to date 502 kilometers of road has been completed in less than one and half year.
"FWO is fully cognisant of the importance of these projects and fully committed to live up to its traditions and complete the project in stipulated time without compromising on the quality of the work", he said, adding construction of these roads will link Gawadar Port with up country by multi - dimensional routes ie Chaman through N-25, Dera Ismail Khan through N - 50 and Indus Highway N - 55.
He further said that average progress of work is approximately 1.5 kilometers per day on international standards which is unprecedented in field of road construction throughout the world. "Security, harsh weather, rugged mountainous terrain and remoteness of the area were some of the major challenges against this gigantic and testing project of national importance", the spokesperson added. The federal government has set December 2016 as the deadline to make operational the western alignment of the CPEC as the first and foremost priority.