Pak, China to sign highway deals under CPEC during Kakar's Beijing visit
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Islamabad: Pakistan and China will sign significant agreements on motorways and highways under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar's four-day visit to Beijing, starting on October 16, Monday.
PM Kakar is visiting China to attend the ‘Third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation’, being held in Beijing from October 17 to 18.
On Saturday, PM’s office in a post on X, said, “The prime minister will attend the opening ceremony of the BRF and address the high-level forum entitled ’Connectivity in an Open Global Economy”.
For Pakistan, one of the significant Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to be signed is related to the establishment of a modern Highway Research & Training Centre (HRTC) with Chinese assistance. The project will prominently take centre stage during the PM’s discussion with Chinese authorities.
HRTC is a subsidiary of the National Highway Authority (NHA) for carrying out indigenous research in various faculties of highway engineering not limited to pavements, bridges, tunneling environmental engineering, hydraulics and Geotech, but also covering technical training.
Kakar will also sign an MoU to upgrade Karakoram Highway (KKH) from Raikot to Thakot, Raikot to Khunjerab (335 km), KKH phase-2 on the E-35 section from Havelian to Thakot, covering 120 km and introduction of a motorway section connecting Havelian to Mansehra.
The prime minister will also discuss the construction of a motorway from Dera Ismail Khan to Zhob, while the Gwadar port will remain the centre of discussion during the meetings in Beijing.
With inputs from agencies