Mubashar Naqvi
Muzaffarabad
Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the AJK has been integrated into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) but the progress on three out of four projects has slowed down. “Joint efforts are being made by the governments of AJK and Pakistan to put them back on track and pick up the pace”, he said.
The President made these remarks while launching a report “CPEC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir – A Gateway to Connectivity and Beyond”, authored by Sabur Ali Sayyed of the Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR). The report was launched at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad.
President AJK said that the 720 MW Karot hydropower project is near completion and initial planning has been done for the Mansehra-Mirpur motorway, running across AJK, 1124 MW Kohala hydropower project and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mirpur.
Sardar Masood Khan said that the Corona Virus epidemic will not slow down the implementation of CPEC projects. What was requires, he said, was the speeding up of internal decision-making processes.
President Masood Khan also revealed that feasibility of an alternate CPEC route starting from Mustagh Pass and running through to Shigar to Astore to Shounter to -Neelum is also being explored. Such a route, he said, will bring Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK closer and will pass through the territory of AJK. “Our major challenge is the construction of the Shounter Tunnel”, he said.
The President said that AJK has come a long way from where it was in 1947.
