Kachhi Canal Project:
Recently completed 400 kilometers in phase 1 of 500 kilometer long Kachhi Canal is now the longest irrigation canal in Pakistan. It stretches from the plains of South Punjab to the heights of eastern Balochistan where it will eventually irrigate over 700,000 acres of arid land, according to WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority).
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| Kachhi Canal Pakistan |
Part of Kachhi canal is made up of 56 inch diameter pipeline that will pump 120 cusecs (cubic feet per sec) of Indus water 7,000 feet above sea level across Sulaiman mountain range. This feat of engineering made possible by NESPAK (National Engineering Services of Pakistan), a consulting firm that I worked for 3 years in mid-1970s.
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| Kachhi Canal Project Phases |
National Highway N-70:
National highway N-70 runs from Multan in Punjab to the town of Qilla Saifullah via Dera Ghazi Khan, and Loralai in Balochistan province. It requires traversing 11,500 feet high Sulaiman mountains, the southern extension of Hindu Kush mountain range. It has recently been completed.
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| N-70 Highway Pakistan |
The condition of old British colonial era N-70 national highway was very poor. In particular, the hilly sections of the road suffered from frequent rock falls and debris and occasional land slides from the steep mountain side. It had narrow road width, coupled with hair-pin bends and relatively steep slope. Trucks pulling containers were forced to take alternative route via N-65 highway to Quetta. The solution was to use seven steel bridges that were 11.5 kilometers in length. The project was completed at a cost of $142 million with the assistance of JICA, Japan's international aid agency.
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| Steel Bridges At Fort Monroe on N70 Highway |
Summary:
Recently completed infrastructure projects linking South Punjab with Balochistan will boost agriculture and transportation sectors and the economy in Pakistan's least developed areas. Kachhi canal will irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of arid land while improvement and widening of N-70 east-west national highway will help movement of goods and people to integrate remote areas with the national economy.
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31 comments:
These civil engineering projects seem to have life of their own, but when finished, they bring life to the impoverished.
Having seen and heard all about how bad the highway was between Islamabad and Lahore and so on. And then having ridden on it approx 4 years ago shows all the difference.
Kachhi Canal was inaugurated back in 2017 by PM Abbasi. I remember discussing it with Pak Water Managers in a WhatsApp group.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/229888-PM-Abbasi-inaugurates-Kachhi-Canal
Rashid: " Kachhi Canal was inaugurated back in 2017 by PM Abbasi. I remember discussing it with Pak Water Managers in a WhatsApp group."
Here's a Dawn report from Sept 2019 that said it's completed.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1508140/first-phase-of-kachhi-canal-completed
I think PMLN leaders were in a hurry to declare projects completed before their term ended to put their names on them.
Regardless, I think PMLN deserves credit for substantial work and progress on infrastructure projects on their watch.
PMLN was crucified for those projects because to their opponents, “ the only reason they were doing those projects was to sell Ittefaq Reinforcing steel (Sarya).”.
The second criticism was “Nations don’t develop by building roads and bridges, flyways and underpasses”.
The news is very positive. Inshallah Pakistan
will prosper and take good care of its inhabitants.
Rashid: "PMLN was crucified for those projects because to their opponents,"
I agree with some of the criticisms of Nawaz Sharif’s extraordinary focus on “hardware” at the expense of “software”.
Both are important but I think human development is far more important than hard infrastructure projects
I wrote about it as well.
http://www.riazhaq.com/2017/02/pakistans-focus-on-infrastructure.html?m=1
PMIK when declaring Construction industry, from abd investment in construction and property development exempt from various taxes and declaration of source of money said,” Building roads is important because it lifts other industries”.
Rashid: " PMIK when declaring Construction industry, from abd investment in construction and property development exempt from various taxes and declaration of source of money said,” Building roads is important because it lifts other industries”."
PTI Government is incentivising construction; it’s not doing all the construction with taxpayer money. It’s a wise policy.
Building roads is not a bad idea as long as government also allocates significant funding for human development and welfare.
Imran Khan’s Ehsas is receiving great reviews:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/pakistan-leading-way-welfare-state-world-can-learn-innovation/amp/
Pakistan is leading the way with its welfare state – the world can learn from its innovation
By Lord Nigel Crisp
#China-#Pakistan Economic Corridor #CPEC to be enhanced in 2nd phase. #Industrial development, #agriculture , #food security, #science and #technology , and #tourism will be major sectors in this phase, according to Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa. | The Star Online
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/04/10/china-pakistan-economic-corridor-to-be-enhanced-in-2nd-phase-says-pakistani-official
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is making steady progress, and its scope will be further enhanced in the second phase, the chairman of the CPEC Authority in Pakistan said.
The industrial development, agriculture, food security, science and technology, and tourism will be the major sectors in the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar project, Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a tweet on Wednesday.
Many projects focusing on infrastructure and energy sectors in the first phase of CPEC have been completed and are already operational, and work on the second phase is underway.
Talking to Xinhua, Vaqar Ahmed, joint executive director at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, an Islamabad-based think tank, said the foreign direct investment by Chinese companies in the special economic zones under CPEC, is expected to be the major contributor to the uplift of Pakistan's economy in the post COVID-19 scenario.
The process of formation of joint ventures between the private sectors of the both countries has already been initiated, and will get a further boost when things got back to normal after the disease is defeated.
THE KACHHi CANAL PROJECT
is located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a 363 km long canal, out of which 281 km is in Punjab and 80 km is in Balochistan. It starts from Taunsa Barrage at Indus River. The canal provides sustainable irrigation water supply to 72,000 acres of agricultural land thus bringing green revolution in Balochistan. Cost of the project, after its revision is now Rs.80.5 billion. The water infrastructure and irrigated agriculture in Balochistan will achieve a landmark, when Kachhi Canal Project will be completed. The project which started in 2002, was almost abandoned due to grossly cost and time overrun for various reasons. With the Federal Government's support and excellent work by WAPDA engineers, the project was re-energised and is likely to complete soon (Phase-I of the project has been completed substantially in September 2017, remaining work is under progress).
Well done pervez musharraf for the vision of a prosperous pakistan. This is just one project. His services for baluchistan are unprecedented. Mirani dam, subakzai dam, makran coastal highway, lasbella uni of marine sciences, sardar bahadur uni quetta, 9 cadet colleges, gawadar ratodero motorway, gawadar port and much more.
#China has donated 300 tons of locust control pesticides and 350 vehicle-mounted sprayers in 3 batches to fight #LocustInvasion in #Pakistan since March 2020. Besides, a team of Chinese experts in #locust control also visited Pakistan in recent weeks. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2225880/2-china-assists-pakistan-locust-war/#
Pakistan and China have further strengthened their friendly relationship during the global crisis.
Earlier, Islamabad extended assistance to Beijing in the fight against coronavirus late last year and now the latter is helping the former in the war against locust swarm attacks on the standing wheat crop.
“Pakistan provided assistance to China after the Covid-19 outbreak (in Wuhan late in December 2019)…China and its people hold to return to Pakistani brothers,” said Chinese Embassy representative in Pakistan Gu Wenliang on Wednesday.
He was speaking at the China-Pakistan Trade Hotline Cloud Salon on the theme of “Joint Efforts for Locust Control”, organised online by the China Economic Net – the only financial media among China’s key news websites.
The Express Tribune also provided strong support for the salon information and introduction in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is experiencing the worst locust plague, which has damaged major crops, including cotton, wheat and corn (worth over Rs200 billion),” Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said in the webinar.
However, the federal and provincial governments are now well equipped to win the war against the second wave of insect attack in the country.
“We could not have done it without your (China and its people) support. China has provided timely support to fight the plague,” he said.
Climate change may have played the role in nourishing the insects. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared (locust) emergency in the country,” he added. The webinar was organised ahead of the 69th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan on May 21 this year.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is suffering from its worst desert locust infestation in 27 years.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, President Arif Alvi and Chinese President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on strengthening plant disease and insect pest control in Beijing.
China has donated 300 tons of locust control pesticides and 350 vehicle-mounted sprayers in three batches since March. Besides, a team of Chinese experts in locust control also visited Pakistan in recent weeks.
Pakistan’s minister for national food security and research also expressed hope for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of monitoring and warning, as well as youth training, and called on Chinese chemical enterprises to invest in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Embassy Commercial Counsellor in Beijing Badaruz Zaman said China had provided huge assistance to Pakistan to help it fight the plague.
Besides, the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK has provided £6 million and the United Nations’ (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has given $1 million to Pakistan for combating the locust attack on standing crops.
“Some 5,000 personnel are involved in anti-locust operation in Pakistan. We look forward to awareness, technical assistance and training of locals from China,” he said.
The FAO has warned Pakistan about locust invasion in the country. “In Pakistan, 38% of the area (60% in Balochistan, 25% in Sindh and 15% in Punjab) are breeding grounds for the desert locust, whereas the entire country is under the threat of invasion if the desert locust is not contained in the breeding regions,” it said in a report the other day.
Construction Work Of Shinzani Dam Gwadar In Full Swing
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/construction-work-of-shinzani-dam-gwadar-in-f-1066635.html
The construction work of Shinzani Dam for provision of drinking water facilities to citizen in Gwadar district was in full swing.
According to official sources, the project worth Rs 500 million will be completed in a transparent manner during the financial year.
Work has been started on the project by the construction firm after completing the tender process, it added.
Under the vision of Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan, the completion of ongoing development projects of Gwadar and provision of the clean drinking water to the masses on permanent basis was priority of the government.
According to a notification issued by the office of Deputy Commissioner Gwadar, a committee has been set up to compensate the victims of Shinzani Dam.
District Forest Officer Gwadar, Deputy Director Agriculture Gwadar, and a representative of the victims of the Shinzani Dam site have been included in the committee members list.
The committee will soon formulate a mechanism for compensation of the victims after conducting a survey.
The residents of Gwadar thanked Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal for approving important projects for the development of the city.
They said that current government has initiated record construction and development work in Gwadar district.
The new era has begun with the construction of dams in the rain-fed areas of Gwadar district to solve the problem of drinking water and urged to take timely steps to compensate the victims (displaced)
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The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of Shinzani Dam which cost is estimated Rs 50 crore and it would be completed in two years.
About sixteen thousand acre feet of water can be stored in this dam and over five thousand acre feet of water will be used for agriculture.
https://www.app.com.pk/national/cm-balochistan-inaugurates-water-supply-pipeline-project-in-gwadar/
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The Hingol River is 350 miles (560 km) long, the longest in Balochistan. It winds through the Makran Coastal Range and Hungol Valley between high cliffs. The river flows all year long, unlike most other streams in Balochistan which only flow during rare rains.
Germany to finance projects in energy, health sectors
https://www.dawn.com/news/1592552/germany-to-finance-projects-in-energy-health-sectors
German Development Bank and the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Thursday signed three agreements with a cumulative value of 18.5 million euros to help Pakistan fight climate change, resolve the energy issues, provide extended health facilities and combat polio.
Under the Women Employment in Private Health Sector, the German bank will provide a grant of Euro 12million exclusively for the establishment of women’s health clinics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to promote self-employment of women in the health sector.
The funding will also go towards the training of qualified women to run the clinics and consulting services in relation to the coordination, monitoring and reporting of the measures implemented.
A statement issued here said through the bank the German government will provide an additional grant of 5 million euros to augment the existing support for polio eradication.
This will help Pakistan finance polio vaccines and meet the costs for vaccination campaigns for implementation of Pakistan’s National Polio Emergency Action Plan.
The World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are the implementing partners.
Under the climate change and energy components, a grant of 1.5 million euros ghas been provided to Pakistan to implement Accompanying Services for the Harpo Hydropower Project in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
These accompanying measures are meant to be carried out at the project site in support of the main Harpo Hydropower Project to ensure the project sustainability.
The statement said that accompanying services shall comprise assistance to strengthen the power utility at the Gilgit-Baltistan Power Department as well as accompanying investments in the social infrastructure including relevant consulting measures.
Historically, Pakistan and Germany have enjoyed warm friendly relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1951. Earlier this year, the government of Germany, through its bank, signed agreements with Pakistan to provide 27 million euros for Gharo Substation in Sindh and 6 million euros for the regional infrastructure project.
Govt releases Rs63,978.21 million for water projects so far
https://nation.com.pk/01-Mar-2021/govt-releases-rs63-978-21-million-for-water-projects-so-far
An amount of Rs16,000 million has been allocated for Diamer Basha Dam (Dam Part), Rs5,000 million for Diamer Basha Dam Project (Land Acquisition and Re-settlement), Rs1,443.324 million for Balochistan Effluent Disposal in to RBOD, Rs1,968 million for construction of Basool Dam, Rs1,797 million for construction of Mangi Dam, Rs2,000 million for construction of small storage dams (Sindh), Rs1,500 million for construction of 100 small dams in Balochistan, Rs1,356.346 million for Darwat dam and Rs2,000 million for Garuk Storage Dam. A sum of Rs7,000 million has been earmarked for Mohmand Dam, Rs3,000 million for Nai Gaj Dam, Rs2,500 million for Naulong Storage Dam, Rs1,500 million for Normal/Emergent Flood Programme and Rs3,000 million for construction of Winder Dam. Similarly, Rs2,000 million has been allocated for Kachhi Canal Project (Remaining Works), Rs500 million for construction of 100 dams in Balochistan and Rs30 million for construction of Delay Action Dam at Zarkhune (Quetta).
35 per cent of ADP goes to south Punjab - Pakistan
https://www.dawn.com/news/1629370
LAHORE: The province’s budget (2021-22) focuses on massive development in South Punjab, as a sum of Rs189.228 billion has been allocated for several ongoing and new projects in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions.
The allocation is 35 per cent of the total annual development programme (ADP) of the province.
Of the total allocation, Rs35.702bn have been set aside for special initiatives, Rs14.083bn for planning & development, Rs875m for human rights & minority affairs, Rs248m for auqaf & religious affairs, Rs193m for archeology, Rs152m for information & culture, Rs15.362bn for school education, Rs4.866bn for higher education, Rs157m for special education, Rs1.015bn for literacy & non-formal education and Rs1.806bn for sports & youth affairs.
Similarly, Rs28.304bn have been allocated for specialised healthcare and medical education, Rs5.886bn for primary & secondary healthcare, Rs664m for population welfare, Rs4.889bn for water supply & sanitation, Rs349m for social welfare, Rs46m for women development, Rs7.371bn for local government & community development, Rs22.52bn for roads, Rs7.901bn for irrigation, Rs1.898bn for energy, Rs7.679bn for public buildings, Rs3.967bn for urban development, Rs11.086bn for agriculture, Rs1.127bn for forestry, Rs213m for wildlife, Rs274m for fisheries, Rs236m for food, Rs1.987bn for livestock, Rs4.057bn for industries, Rs340m for mines & minerals, Rs316m for tourism, Rs1.205bn for governnance & information technology, Rs147m for labour, Rs365m for transport, Rs464m for Rescue 1122 and Rs1.488bn for environment & climate change.
Water Released In Much Awaited Gomal Zam Dam Canal
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/water-released-in-much-awaited-gomal-zam-dam-942427.html
Member Provincial Assembly, Faisal Amin lauded the efforts of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and Chinese and Turkish engineers for releasing water in Gomal Zam Dam canal for the first time on Tuesday
TANK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jun, 2020 ) :Member Provincial Assembly, Faisal Amin lauded the efforts of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and Chinese and Turkish engineers for releasing water in Gomal Zam Dam canal for the first time on Tuesday.
The project, conceived in 1898, took over a century to be built but has changed the whole landscape. "Salute to Chinese, Turkish, FWO PAKISTAN, WAPDA and Pakistani staff who made it possible," he remarked.
He said dam would usher a new era of prosperity and green revolution in district Tank and DI Khan, adding that the dam is located in South Waziristan, Barrage at Girdawi that would help irrigate 200,000 acres of land in Tank and DIKHAN Districts, besides generating 17.
4 MW electricity.
He said most of the work was done before Pakistan Peoples Party government , which he said, stopped all payments.
Faisal Amin said, "thanks to aid from foreign countries and USAID Pakistan that the last remaining works were finished".
Work on CPEC's M-14 Motorway completed
http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202201/04/t20220104_37226065.shtml
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 4 (Gwadar Pro) - Federal Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Monday announced that the construction on Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway (M-14), a mega project under Western alignment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has been “completed with an amount of Rs. 81 billion”.
“Work on Hakla-D.I. Khan Motorway Khan [is] completed; the present Government has invested Rs. 81 billion in this motorway from the national exchequer,” Murad Saeed said in Twitter, adding the construction on the motorway began in 2019.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to formally inaugurate M-14 Motorway for public. “The Motorway is ready for operation and will be inaugurated at any time depending on the Prime Minister’s schedule,” an NHA official told Gwadar Pro, on the condition of anonymity.
M-14 Motorway is a 293 km long mega project under the Western Alignment of CPEC, connecting the southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with the rest of the country that will lead to social and economic prosperity in the area.
The motorway passed through Attock, Mianwali districts of Punjab and reaches KP. The last Interchange of the motorway is Yarik in D.I. Khan while Abdul Khel Interchange opens to Lakki Marwat district of KP. M-14 will mainstream the district of D.I. Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Bannu and other adjoining areas with the federal capital Islamabad and the rest of the country. In the next phase, M-14 will be connected to Zhob-Quetta (N-50) to establish a link among the upper parts of Punjab, southern KP and Balochistan.
M-14 Motorway will transform the lives of the present and future generations of the entire area economically, financially, socially and educationally.
Naulong dam to irrigate 4,7000 acres near Jhal Magsi
https://dailythepatriot.com/naulong-dam-to-irrigate-47000-acres-near-jhal-magsi/
ISLAMABAD: The Naulong Dam Project will irrigate 47,000 acres of land near Jhal Magsi,Balochistan. The dam located on Mula River at Sunt near Gandawa City in Tehsil and District Jhal Magsi will help reduce poverty, socio-economic uplift, and women’s emancipation.
The dam would generate 4.4 MW of cheap hydropower energy, said an official of the Ministry of Water Resources. The dam is 186 feet high and has a total storage capacity of 242,452 AFd. Live storage is 200,000 AF.
The annual benefits to agriculture will be Rs. 2.017 billion, power Rs. 0.413 Billion, fisheries Rs. 0.018 billion. The dam will create 23,500 agricultural jobs. It would help protect the catchment areas from the deluge.
Dualization work of Karachi, Quetta, Chaman to start from Feb - Daily Times
https://dailytimes.com.pk/874972/dualization-work-of-karachi-quetta-chaman-to-start-from-feb/
Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Tuesday informed the Senate that dualization work of 796 kilometers long Karachi to Quetta and Chaman road would be started next month.
Responding to a calling attention notice regarding an alarming number of traffic accidents on RCD Highway, N-25, which runs from Karachi to Quetta and Chaman, he said, “Contract has been awarded for the construction of the first section of 330 kilometers of the highway and Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform groundbreaking of the project next month”.
About the remaining two sections, the minister said that one is at feasibility, while the other is at the designing stage. He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has completed work on 2,032 kilometers of road projects and also started work on an additional 7879 km of roads network. He said that the road projects started in Balochistan were including Zhob Kuchlak, Nokandi Mashkeel, Khuzdar Bisimah, Ziarat Morr Kuch Harnai, Hoshab Awaran, Dera Murad Jamali Bypass, Quetta Bypass, and Kuchlak Khuzdar.
Pakistan to Spend ‘Bare Minimum’ $6 Billion to Boost Growth
Targets 5% GDP growth next fiscal year to create new jobs
Finance chief sees this year’s fiscal deficit just above 7%
Video player cover image
WATCH: Pakistan's finance minister says the country plans to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by as much as 40% to create jobs.(Source: Bloomberg)
By Faseeh Mangi and Khalid Qayum
May 6, 2021, 8:37 AM PDTUpdated onMay 6, 2021, 9:46 PM PDT
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-06/pakistan-to-spend-bare-minimum-6-billion-to-boost-growth
Pakistan plans to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by as much as 40% to create jobs and foster productivity in an economy crippled by the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said.
The federal government will earmark as much as 900 billion rupees ($6 billion) for development expenditure in the year beginning July, Tarin, who took office last month, said in an interview in Islamabad. The economy needs to expand by 5% next year, he said.
“That’s the bare minimum we need for a country this size,” said Tarin, who is due to present a new budget next month for the world’s fifth most-populous nation. “There are almost 110 million youth.”
Tarin, a former banker, was appointed last month as the fourth finance minister since Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government took power in 2018. He also served in the role between 2008 and 2010, helping the nation avoid default by securing a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. He comes into office as Pakistan faces a third wave of coronavirus cases, prompting authorities to order a week-long shutdown that may weigh on economic activity and hurt incomes.
Tarin’s plan will reverse his predecessor’s decision to lower spending to narrow the budget deficit, which he estimates to be a little above 7% of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year through June, against 8.1% in the previous year. Tarin said he expects the deficit in the next fiscal to be 1 or 1.5 percentage points lower.
While balancing the budget will be key for Pakistan’s current $6 billion loan program with the IMF, the new finance minister is negotiating with the organization for more wriggle room to support economic growth.
The government’s GDP target for next year is a percentage point higher than the IMF’s 4% projection, and Tarin is seeking to boost growth to 6% in the year after. The Washington-based lender sees the economy expanding 1.5% in the current fiscal period after a rare contraction last year.
“We need 2 million jobs every year,” he said. “If we do not go into growth mode, we will have a major crisis on the streets.”
The central bank, which has cut interest rates to a three-year low to support the economy, has been on pause mode for a while and has left some of the heavy lifting to the government.
“First we have to get more revenues,” Tarin said, adding that he’s targeting about 6 trillion rupees next year in tax authority revenue, compared with this year’s 4.75 trillion-rupee target. “Unless we get more revenues, forget about any incentives to boost the economy.”
Other comments from Tarin’s interview:
On talks with the IMF: “All we are saying is that we are just basically going to give them alternate ways of achieving the same objective” including revenue generation and reducing energy debt, adding that the aim is for this to be the last IMF bailout in Pakistan’s history
Plans to tap undrawn allocated funds from Asian Development Bank and World Bank that total $20 billion
Aims to increase tech exports to $8 billion in two years, from an estimated $2 billion this fiscal year, a sector he said that he aims to support
Nation plans to soon launch global sukuk bond
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Western Route development is strategically significant to realize broader connectivity and regional common prosperity.
https://www.app.com.pk/global/cpec-western-route-development-strategically-significant-chinese-scholar/
These views were expressed by Cheng Xizhong, visiting Prof. at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, and former Defence Attache in South Asian countries said.
The construction of the Hakla-D I Khan Motorway, a milestone achievement on the CPEC Western Route, has been completed and put into operation, which provides fast connectivity to the locals as well as paves the way for preparing the shortest route for logistics moving to and from northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.
Now, transportation infrastructure is the top priority. So far, the construction of the 235 km Quetta-Sohrab Road, the 449 km Surab-Hoshab Road, the 193 km Hoshab-Gwadar Road, the 210 km D I Khan-Zhob Road and the 297 km Hakla-D I Khan Motorway have been successfully completed, he said in his article published by China Economic Net (CEN).
Other transportation infrastructure projects on the CPEC Western Route, including the 305 km Zhob-Quetta Road, the 110 km Basima-Khuzdar Road, the Nokundi-Mashkel Road and the 146 km Hoshab-Awaran Road are under construction, especially the D I Khan-Zhob Road and Zhob-Quetta Road under construction will minimize the travel time from the federal capital to Quetta.
Compared with the eastern region, western areas of Pakistan are underdeveloped. Therefore, he believed that the construction of the CPEC Western Route and development of the western areas of Pakistan are of great strategic significance.
First, the construction of transportation infrastructure can drive the development of other infrastructures such as energy, modern agriculture and industry and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), completely changing the long-term lag of social and economic development in the western region and usher in the prosperity in western part of the country.
Second, the surrounding areas of the roads and motorways on the CPEC Western Route comprise of landscapes and farms producing vegetables, pulses, grains and fruits, especially the high-quality mangoes and dates.
Therefore, western development will open up the fertile hidden areas of North Punjab, Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to all kinds of trade and business. Thus, it can promote large-scale employment, eliminate local poverty and enable the local people to embark on the road of prosperity together with people in other parts of the country.
Third, from the perspective of regional connectivity, the construction of the CPEC Western Route has very important regional strategic significance. Western Pakistan is adjacent to Afghanistan and Iran. Once the transportation infrastructure in western part is fully completed, it will create conditions for the CPEC westward extension.
In this way, the prosperity created by CPEC can radiate to the whole Central and West Asia through Afghanistan and Iran, so as to realize broader regional connectivity and regional common prosperity, he said.
ADB study stresses economic corridor development to transform Pakistan's economy
https://www.dawn.com/news/1672882
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/768396/economic-corridor-development-pakistan.pdf
Pakistan has the potential of becoming a hub of economic activity for Central, South and West Asian countries if it follows the model of economic corridor development (ECD), the Asian Development Bank said in a study released on Wednesday.
The ADB study, titled "Economic Corridor Development in Pakistan: Concept, Framework, and Case Studies", examined how Pakistan could address economic challenges through ECD.
In the foreword, ADB Central and West Asia Department Director General Eugene Zhukov noted that Pakistan had not yet been able to attain a sustained growth path "to move beyond its historic lacklustre and stop-and-go pattern, characterised by 'booms and busts' every three to four years".
"Through market reforms, Pakistan needs to transform its economy into an export-led growth trajectory. In addition to improving the economy’s competitiveness and productivity with a vibrant private sector, it is critical to attracting domestic and foreign investments to support this transformation," he said.
The official went on to say that Pakistan had already adopted and implemented an ECD-focused strategy as part of its core development and growth framework.
"ECD can be one of the most credible ways to help the government achieve its socio-economic objectives of reaching the upper-middle-income status by 2025," Zhukov said.
However, he cautioned that private sector development and a fair and efficient tax system were also required for transforming the economy to export-led growth.
Defining ECD, the study said that it aimed to promote economic growth by connecting different economic agents along defined geographic areas.
When implemented successfully, ECD supports economies of scale and scope and induces economic transformation and diversification through foreign direct investment.
"By enhancing domestic connectivity and linking lagging regions [including secondary cities] with urban growth centres, ECD can help Pakistan become a hub of economic activity for Central, South, and West Asian countries," the study said.
It stated that the country could "revitalise" its economic growth through facilitating economic centres by bolstering them with an efficient transport network based on "robust infrastructure and supported by a business-enabling policy framework".
However, it pointed out that Pakistan currently lacked the administrative machinery for effectively managing ECD.
"Its complex tax administration and compliance requirements impede growth and expansion of private investment, project management and implementation are weak, and a coherent regulatory framework for land use and urban development is lacking."
The study proposed several recommendations which could enable Pakistan to tackle these challenges:
Empowering a central corridor planning and development agency to oversee the overall development and management of ECD.
Strengthening an overall policy framework for ECD, including streamlining policies for transport, logistics, public-private partnerships, land use, zoning regulations, business regulatory framework and taxation regimes.
Providing institutional support for skills development to align labour force skills with industry needs.
Link current industrial clusters and urban areas with new industrial hubs and urban centres through infrastructure networks.
Seeking ways to channel partial resources from overseas Pakistanis into profitable investment ventures to fund ECD-related projects.
The study also identified four routes that could be used for a pilot ECD programme: M4 Motorway linking Faisalabad and Multan, N70 (national highway) connecting Multan and Killa Saifullah, N50 (national highway) linking Dera Ismail Khan and Kachlak, and the Hazara Motorway (E35 Expressway) from Islamabad to Mansehra.
ADB study stresses economic corridor development to transform Pakistan's economy
https://www.dawn.com/news/1672882
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/768396/economic-corridor-development-pakistan.pdf
Explaining the rationale behind selecting the routes, the study said: "[They] offer real untapped economic potential with opportunities to diversify; good development synergy for linking production networks especially small and medium-sized enterprises with markets and other economic agents; close links to the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) and Carec (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation) routes; and favourable prospects for connecting and realising the economic potential of underdeveloped regions in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."
Maximising CPEC benefits
The study also touched upon CPEC and said that it could pull off a number of economic objectives if it was implemented successfully.
However, it cautioned that CPEC alone could not improve the economy and would need to be supported by structural reforms to unleash its true potential.
The ADB report suggested four policy recommendations to fully benefit from CPEC.
Undertaking structural reforms to facilitate private sector development.
Broadening the tax base to make use of the country's tax revenue potential and improve fairness of tax collection.
Utilising transport infrastructure under CPEC to maximise investment return and turn it into a multilateral initiative.
Expediting development of nine special economic zones planned along CPEC routes.
China’s belt and road projects will help lift Pakistan from poverty, says Imran Khan
Despite questions around Pakistan’s deals with China, its PM says CPEC and Gwadar port are viewed as ‘a great opportunity’
Khan told Chinese President Xi Jinping that Islamabad would support China at any time as its ‘all-weather friend’
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3166407/chinas-belt-and-road-projects-will-help-lift-pakistan-poverty
“I do not understand why there is this suspicion about CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] and the Gwadar port … what China achieved is really [why] we look at China as a role model, because never has a nation lifted so many people out of poverty as did China,” Khan said.
“This is really my main concern: how do I lift people out of poverty, how do we create wealth in our country? We see CPEC and Gwadar as a great opportunity for our geoeconomics, I think this is not exclusive between Pakistan and China. We invite any other country to join and invest in CPEC projects,” Khan said, referring to his policy on strengthening trade and investment with regional countries.
“We want to lift our poverty using the example of China,” he said.
CPEC comprises a network of roads, railways, ports, power plants, oil and gas pipelines and optical fibre cables. A main feature of the project is a road from Xinjiang in China’s far west to Gwadar port in Balochistan. Only around a third of the projects have been completed.
“The US is also a good friend of Pakistan, but it is different from the all-weather friendship with China,” Khan said, adding that in the past the US had switched between being friendly towards his nation and then sanctioning Pakistan over regional issues, including conflicts in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan-China relations have been stable for the past 70 years,” Khan said.
CPEC project keeps children fed
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2343158/cpec-project-keeps-children-fed
Hundreds of children belonging to lessprivileged families in the scenic Kaghan Valley are being fed on a daily basis at the under-construction Suki Kinari hydropower project along the Kunhar River.
The Suki Kinari dam project, one of the key initiatives of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is estimated to generate 884 megawatts of electricity, which will benefit 13 million households.
According to Mari Petroleum, around 6,000 locals are already involved in the construction work, and once complete, it will create hundreds of more jobs. It is a unique project for which a 30km long tunnel will be dug through the mountains and from where the water will be diverted to the power turbines with the help of pipes.
Launched in 2017, 83% of the work of Suki Kanari Energy Project has been completed. It is hoped that this project will be added to the national grid next year, increasing Pakistan's hydropower reserves by nine percent.
The extension of Kachhi Canal is being carried out through three different contracts with a cumulative cost of Rs19.5 billion.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/03/27/kachhi-canal-to-increase-agricultural-production-in-region-bizenjo/
Under the project, the existing main canal will be further extended by another 40kms.In addition, a 32km long water distribution system will also be constructed in the command area to irrigate another 30,000 acres of land in Dera Bugti district. WAPDA has already constructed a 363km main canal and 81km long allied water distribution system to irrigate 72,000 acres of land. The canal possessing a discharge capacity of 6000 cusecs, that takes off from Taunsa Barrage in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab, enters Balochistan’s Dera Bugti district
Kachhi Canal is a vital project to alleviate poverty and eradicate extremism in remote and backward areas of Balochistan by developing irrigated agriculture and an agro-based economy in the province. Experts have termed the land being cultivated in Sui and adjacent areas of Dera Bugti district through Kacchi Canal as a good omen for Balochistan as it has brought in a phenomenal change in the livelihood of the locals.
Flowing more than 1,000 km between Pakistan’s Indus River and the Suleiman Mountains, the Chashma Canal has helped transform a vast expanse of barren land into green farmland where profitable crops like rice and sugarcane can be cultivated. The canal, built with financial support from the Asian Development Bank, was a life changer for communities living along its banks from the Chashma Barrage to Taunsa.
https://youtu.be/prHfXrfCLPE
Pakistan Govt expedites work on Naulong Dam in Jhal Magsi, Balochistan
https://nation.com.pk/2022/04/26/govt-expedites-work-on-naulong-dam-in-jhal-magsi/
ISLAMABAD – The government has expedited the construction work of Naulong Dam on Mula River in the Jhal Magsi District, which will be the first hydel dam of the province to generate 4.4 megawatts electricity and irrigate 47,000 acres land.
The Water and Power Development Authority had already completed its feasibility and detailed design, besides all other required arrangements, a WAPDA official said. With gross storage of 242,163 acre feet of water, he said, the dam would irrigate 47,000 acres of land in Jhal Magsi, Gandawa and Khuzdar, which would help boost economic activities and strengthen the farmers fraternity in the province.
The official said the Naulong Dam, which would cost around Rs 3.85 billion, would be 186 feet high. The agriculture would reap annual benefit of Rs 2.017 billion, power Rs 0.413 billion and fisheries Rs. 0.018 billion because of the dam, while it would create 23,500 agricultural jobs. It would help protect the catchment areas from the deluge, he added.
The official said the government had worked out a comprehensive programme for managing the recurring floods through small dams. The completion of the projects would help the irrigation system, besides tackling the water scarcity situation in the province, he added.
Balochistan water storage increases
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2351918/balochistan-water-storage-increases
The water storage capacity of Balochistan has reached 68,939 acre feet which will enhance the irrigation network and address water scarcity issues of the drought-hit province.
Under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), as many as 27 dams have been completed having storage capacity of 68,939 acre feet in various districts of Balochistan.
There are also ongoing small, medium, large and delayed action dams at various stages of implementation that will further add another 9.016 million acre feet (MAF) to the existing storage capacity.
After the construction of large reservoirs in the country, the storage capacity of water will increase several million-acre feet that will help store rain and floods water during monsoon.
An official of the Ministry of Water and Power told APP that the work was underway on various projects in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh to address the growing issue of water scarcity.
“The federal government is also providing funds for construction of various small, medium, large, and delay action and recharge dam projects in the country through Federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP)”, he said.
These projects aimed at providing water for irrigation, agriculture, and drinking purposes which were being implemented by WAPDA and Irrigation Departments of four provinces besides the Public Health Engineering Department, Balochistan.
At present combined storage capacity of Mangla, Tarbela, and Chashma reservoirs is about 14.349 MAF. After the completion of ongoing projects i.e. Mohmand, Diamer Basha, and Nai Gaj Dams, the gross storage capacity will be increased to 23.988 MAF.
NHA awards contract for construction of last section of CPEC’s M-8 Motorway--China Economic Net
http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202206/14/t20220614_37755846.shtml
Islamabad, June 14 (Gwadar Pro) - The National Highway Authority (NHA) on Monday awarded an Rs 8 billion contract for the construction of 168 kilometres long-missing link in the M-8 Motorway of the central alignment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.
The 250 kilometres Ratodero-Khuzdar and 193 kilometres Gwadar-Hoshab sections of the M-8 Motorway are operational. Similarly, work on 146 kilometres long Hoshab-Awaran section is also underway at a cost of Rs9.12 billion. The contract for the last missing link between Awaran and Naal (near Khuzdar) has been awarded to a joint venture of Habib Construction Services and Matracon Pakistan for Rs 8.08 billion.
After completion of this section, Islamabad, Peshawar and Lahore will be connected with the Gwadar Port through the shortest route, NHA said. It will also mark the completion of the first-ever access-controlled link between the Gwadar Port and northern parts of the country.
The M-8 Motorway starts from Ratodero in Sindh and culminates at the Gwadar Port, passing from Khuzdar, Awaran, Hoshab and Turbat areas of Balochistan.
The east-west motorway will link Sukkur, Sindh with Gwadar. Pakistan has already completed a network of access-controlled roads from Peshawar and Islamabad up to Sukkur.
Work on first phase of Kachhi canal completed - Newspaper - DAWN.COM
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733179
DERA MURAD JAMALI: The first phase of the Kachhi canal has been completed while a survey to start the work on second and third phases was underway.
This was claimed by Kachhi Canal Project Engineer Syed Khalid Shah during a briefing to Balochistan Minister for Irrigation Muhammad Khan Lehri, who visited the canal along with Irrigation Secretary Abdul Fatah Bhangar and other officials.
In the first phase, the work on 363km has been completed, Mr Shah said, adding in the second phase, work on another 58km stretch would be completed. In the third phase, the remaining 44km portion of the canal would be built. As soon as the survey was completed, the work on second and third phases would be initiated, the minister was told.
Mr Lehri said with the completion of the first phase of the canal, over one lac acres of agricultural land would be brought under cultivation.
“It was a long-standing demand of the people of Nasirabad division which was fulfilled today,” Mr Lehri said, adding with the canal, a new era of development and prosperity would begin in Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi and Kachhi districts.
The farmers in Nasirabad would get water for their crops while the issue of clean drinking water for the locals would also be resolved.
He praised the efforts of Wapda and said it played an important role in completion of the first phase of the canal.
The work on the Kachhi canal project was set to be inaugurated in 2002 by the then president retired general Pervez Musharraf.
However, the project suffered gross cost overruns and an inordinate delay of almost two decades. Later, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the 300km project in 2017.
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