Bridging the gap: K-P to develop land routes to Central Asia

LG secretary says mass transit system need of the hour

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government is working towards developing projects of public interest, particularly in the city. A chain of land routes is being developed that will link the province to Central Asian countries and open new gateways of economic opportunities.

This was said by Local Government and Rural Development Secretary Jamil Ahmed in a meeting with delegates from a Chinese company, CREC.



According to a handout issued on Wednesday, Ahmed said a new geo-economic scenario is emerging in the region and the government has aligned its planning and projects accordingly.

He said investors and regional companies are encouraged to initiate projects that will contribute to the developing environment. “The government intends to initiate projects which will help integrate Pakistan and Central Asia through economic development,” the handout quoted him as saying.

Ahmed said the road corridor that will interlink South Asia further with Central Asian states and Eastern Europe countries.

He said visitors from all over K-P, especially from adjoining districts of Charsadda, Nowshera,  Mardan, Kohat  and even the tribal belt, visit Peshawar which has its own set of traffic congestion issues.

The secretary said besides modernising the city’s bus terminals and developing a mass transit system, establishing a circular railway line around the city is a need of the hour and should be incorporated in the master plan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2015.