AIIB eyes road, power projects

Karachi?Hyderabad?Sukkur motorway to be completed in two years; $100?150m investment pipeline

ISLAMABAD:

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Vice President Konstantin Limitovskiy met Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari to discuss infrastructure and energy projects, according to an official statement on Wednesday.

Abdul Aleem Khan said the government aims to complete vital transportation projects within two years, with the Karachi-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway being the most critical for economic development. The section connecting to Karachi Port will have eight lanes, while the Hyderabad-Sukkur section will feature six lanes. The minister assured that all available resources will be utilised to ensure timely completion. The Lahore-Sialkot and Kharian-Rawalpindi motorways are also slated for completion within two years. These projects will reduce travel distance between Lahore and Islamabad by 100 kilometres, saving an hour of travel time and resulting in billions of rupees in annual fuel savings.

In a significant safety initiative, an air ambulance service and modern trauma centres will be established on motorways in collaboration with the Pakistan Air Force. Limitovskiy expressed strong interest in collaborating with the National Highway Authority, describing the visit as pleasant and confirming that the delegation would also visit Lahore.

Separately, Leghari briefed the AIIB delegation on power sector reforms and future priorities. He said Pakistan is focused on improving efficiency, transparency and sustainability in the energy sector.

The delegation expressed interest in investing in Pakistan's energy sector, noting a potential investment pipeline of $100?150 million. Referring to its experience in other countries, the delegation said it is exploring opportunities to support renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure and transmission projects in Pakistan.