The government has named the 2600-km road from Gwadar Port to Afghanistan, China and Kyrgyzstan as ''Asian Highway''. The decision was taken in a meeting here on Monday to review the status of roads connectivity to Gwadar. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was in the chair.
Federal Minister for Communications Shamim Siddiqui and National Highway Authority Chairman Major General Farrukh Javed briefed the PM about the current status of the on-going projects.
The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Communications to ensure timely completion of the on-going road network projects aimed at providing better link to Gwadar Port.
He said that the government was building the network of roads at a cost of about Rs 35 billion to provide better linkages to Gwadar Port, which currently has access to Chaman through a combination of Coastal Highway (N-10) and ECO Highway (N-25).
The Prime Minister reiterated the government''s commitment to complete the project on fast pace and hoped that the completion of road networks and other mega projects would usher in a new era of development and prosperity in Balochistan.
He directed the Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority to upgrade the existing Gwadar-Hoshab-Panjgur-Nag-Basima-Sorab road.
The Prime Minister also directed the ministry to immediately undertake construction of road up to Panjgur, and beyond, subsequently so that two routes would be available linking Gwadar with the Central Asian Republics.
NHA Chairman made a presentation about the status of various projects in the meeting. He said the Authority was currently working on eight projects to provide access to and from Gwadar linking various domestic and foreign locations. Lyari-Gwadar road has been completed while Gwadar-Jiwani-Gabad road will be completed in 2009, providing access to Iran.
The Prime Minister was informed that 57 percent work on Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab project has been completed and the remaining would be completed by March 2007.
Moreover, Basima-Khuzdar road will be completed by 2009 while 60 percent work on Khori-Wangu hill project has been completed and the remaining portion of the said road from Qubo-Saeed Khan to Wangu hills has been awarded to Frontier Works Organisation that will be completed in 36 months.
The NHA Chairman said Kalat-Quetta-Chaman road has already been awarded to four contractors under the Asian Development Bank financial package and shall be completed in next 3 years.