Daily Times

Pakistan is set to receive an investment of Rs 943 billion through more than 20 projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Of these, a dozen projects worth Rs 276 billion are currently under construction, while nine additional projects valued at over Rs 667 billion are in progress through various modes of financing.

Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal provided these details in a written response to a question from Member National Assembly (MNA) Nafisa Shah. He outlined that the projects span across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Sindh, and Balochistan, with 11 projects being partially funded through the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).

As per documents obtained by Daily Times, among the key projects, Rs 5,975 million has been allocated for setting up a 500 kV Allama Iqbal Industrial City (SEZ) in Punjab, while Rs 6,174 million is earmarked for a 220/132 kV GIS substation in Dhabeji, Sindh. In Balochistan, the construction of the new Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) will cost Rs 51,298 million.

Additionally, a 146-kilometer motorway on the Hoshab-Awaran (M-8) section will be constructed for Rs 25,835 million, while the 103-kilometer Nokundi-Mashkhel road has been approved for Rs 7,708 million. Other significant projects in Balochistan include setting up feeders for the Free Zone North and South GPA Gwadar for Rs 928 million and building a 132 kV grid station at the Industrial Estate in Bostan for Rs 966 million.

In KPK, the evacuation of power from the Suki Kinari project will cost Rs 7,993 million. The ministry also introduced a project to boost higher education through academic collaboration under the CPEC consortium of universities, with Rs 1,343 million approved for this initiative.

Nine other projects, valued at over Rs 667 billion, are being constructed through various financing methods, including Chinese grants and public-private partnerships. These projects include the development of the Allama Iqbal Industrial City (SEZ) in Punjab, the establishment of China-Pakistan Joint Agricultural Technology Laboratories in Punjab and Balochistan, and the development of the Dhabeji SEZ in Sindh.

Furthermore, the lower house was informed about PSDP-related projects, including the construction of eastern and expansion of southern sewerage treatment plants in Hyderabad, Sindh. Initially approved in 2007 at a cost of Rs 915 million, the project is currently under the demand of the Finance Division and is being executed by the government of Sindh.

The Karachi Urban Infrastructure Development Package, approved in 2023 at a cost of Rs 10 billion, was capped following a decision by the Special Investment Facilitation Committee (SIFC) and the National Economic Council (NEC) in January 2024. Funds from this project were diverted to foreign-funded mega developments in the PSDP 2024-25.