ISLAMABAD: Minister for Communications Murad Saeed has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is initiating mega development projects in the country through public and private partnership (PPP) to reduce the burden on the national exchequer.

"Work has begun on the western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pace of work on the CPEC has increased and new projects are also being launched, and the government has approved the DI Khan-Zhob road under the CPEC's western route, which was the demand of the smaller provinces. The CPEC is successfully heading towards its destination, and new projects are also being launched under the umbrella of CPEC," the minister expressed these views, while addressing a news conference, here on Sunday.

He said that a total of 57 development projects had been included in this year's Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Saeed said that work on Havelian, Thakot, Multan, and Sukkur routes was completed on priority basis and now a motorway would be constructed from Peshawar to DI Khan.

The minister said that tender for Hyderabad and Sukkur motorways would be held this year.

He further said that 1,800 kilometers of roads would be constructed without any burden on the national exchequer, while areas located on the GT Road would also be connected to the motorways.

Saeed said the entire Punjab was being connected with the motorway through public and private partnership. He said network of roads was being laid down across the country through public and private partnership, under a new vision. Projects in Sindh, south Punjab and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were government's priority, Saeed added.

Talking about his ministry, he said that the government had turned a "ruined institute", self-sustainable by introducing transparency, better service delivery, and the latest technology.

Saeed said the prime minister himself started the process of austerity as part of which the expenses of the Prime Minister's Office were cut down to a significant extent.

He said, "We saved billion of rupees in the National Highways Authority (NHA) by taking austerity measures. He said that the revenue of the NHA was considerably increased with the help of Geographic Information System mapping."