Key points
- Spending has reached Rs163.17bn, or $583m
- Total allocations stand at Rs310.30bn, or $1.11bn
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has allocated Rs310 billion ($1.11 billion) and spent, so far, Rs163.17 billion ($583 million) on nine road projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan since 2022-23, according to official data.
The spending covers major road infrastructure projects being developed to improve connectivity across the province and strengthen links with the country’s major transport and trade network.
Among the projects, the 330-kilometre Khuzdar-Kuchlak section of National Highway N-25 is one of the largest, with Rs82.6 billion ($295 million) allocated for its development.
The 187-kilometre Karoro-Wadh and Kuchlak-Chaman sections of N-25 have an allocation of Rs81 billion ($289 million), according to the official data.
Another Rs63 billion ($225 million) has been allocated for the 273-kilometre Karachi-Karoro and Wadh-Khuzdar sections
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Pakistan’s motorways in Balochistan
Major motorway projects include the 168-kilometre Awaran-Naal section of M-8, with an allocation of Rs26.03 billion ($93 million), and the 146-kilometre Hoshab-Awaran section, allocated Rs14.79 billion ($53 million).
Other CPEC-linked road schemes include the Nokundi-Mashkel Road, Quetta Western Bypass, Basima-Khuzdar section of N-30 and Zhob-Kuchlak section of N-50.
CPEC is a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, linking China’s western Xinjiang region with the country’s Arabian Sea port of Gwadar through infrastructure, energy and transport projects.
The Balochistan road network is intended to improve domestic connectivity and facilitate the country’s trade with China and markets in the Central Asian Region, including through Gwadar.
