Western route of CPEC: KPCCI hails identification of seven industrial zones

Will help generate employment, alleviate poverty, attract investment

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) has hailed the identification of seven industrial zones on the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), terming it a positive step towards generating economic activities in the province.

Commenting on the report regarding the identification of 12 potential industrial zones including five in Balochistan and seven in K-P, former KPCCI chief Yusaf Sarwar said the areas identified were very important from an economic and industrial point of view.

“Once developed, these routes would generate employment opportunities for youth besides alleviating poverty and attract direct foreign investment,” he said.

The K-P has proposed seven potential sites that included Marble and Granite Industrial Estate at Mansehra, Industrial Estate at Karnal Sher Khan Interchange, Expansion of Industrial Estate Hattar Phase VII, Industrial Estate D.I.Khan, Industrial Estate at the border of Kohat and Karak and Industrial and Economic Zone Bannu in a report submitted by a high level committee to the Prime Minister’s Office.



“These are ideal sites for the establishment of industrial zones. Link roads should also be established to connect them to the Motorway and CPEC,” said Sarwar.

“As for establishment of new industries, energy is an important tool,” he said, adding that the government should start energy projects along the western route for uninterrupted power supply to the units.

He also suggested the adaptation of a comprehensive mechanism to check illegal entry of foreign goods to K-P following the construction of CPEC.

Former KPCCI president Fawad Ishaq said gas, LNG, railways were also required for the establishment of the industrial zones. “If these facilities are provided at the western route, it would change the destiny of the entire region,” he said.  

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2016.

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