PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has called for the merger of SIDB in EZDMC, extension of electricity to Hayatabad industrial estate, to be produced from natural gas and the involvement of the Board of Directors in the working group for CPEC related projects. This he directed while presiding over the 11thBoard of Directors meeting of the EZDMC here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. Addressing the meeting the Chief Minister with a beaming face said that the western route stood part of the CPEC and were reflected in the previous JCC meeting of the CPEC. “We had no objection to any route of the CPEC but certainly we had a principled stand that the rights of the backwards areas should be protected and a road should pass through these areas under CPEC,” he said. Pervez Khattak also said his government succeeded to make seven mega projects part of the CPEC and some other projects would be negotiated in the next meeting of the JCC. He assured that the projects that might not become part of the CPEC would be marketed in the Beijing Road-Show towards the end of March. Working groups in all public sector institutions were working on these lines. The Chinese government had already agreed to invest in multiple projects with billions of US dollars. The investment would come through the top Chinese company, he added. He directed to gear up activities in order to get maximum investment attracted to the projects. The Role of EZDMC was of importance. The Chief Minister said he had suggested to the Chinese companies to collaborate with the Pakistani investors. He directed to work out how to involve the Pakistani investors in the projects directing for the formation of a committee of EZDMC Board of Directors to plan commercialisation at the spare property in different industrial estates and said this should be reported to him in the next meeting of the Board of Directors of EZDMC. Pervez Khattak highlighted the role of teamwork adding that different departments should interact with each other, distribute their works as the next few month, as they were of prime importance to the province. “This province has the capacity to attract investors and thus stabilise its position through the flood of foreign investors. This province was on the fast track for rapid industrialization and therefore a proper mechanism was needed,” he said. His government, he added, would bring legislations to make the development process durable and sustainable. He directed against the dead investment and wastage of resources otherwise the dead investment would overburden the financial health of the province. He directed for achieving the targets in the process of industrialisation. The chief minister also sought a proposal for the extension of electricity to Hayatabad industrial estate through conversion of natural gas for the production of electricity. He also highlighted that the production of 1700 mega watts of electricity from surface water resources had already been included in the CPEC. Greater Peshawar Mass Transit was okayed by JCC. The project would link Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Dargai and the federal railway ministry had already agreed to it. An additional route from Giligit to Shandoor Chitral Chakdara had been given to the province that will also open Wakhan to integrate the Central AsianRepublics. He also indicated the upgradation of the Indus Highway, the establishment of industrial zones, linking Kohat from Jand. He directed to give final touches to the preparation for the road show; the province would conduct in Beijing towards the end of March.