Saudi Arabia to Provide Rs. 44 Billion for Connecting Azad Kashmir to CPEC

Abdul Rehman Majeed · Sep 4, 2022

Saudi Arabia to Provide Rs. 44 Billion for Connecting Azad Kashmir to CPEC

By Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi | Published Sep 2, 2022 | 2:18 pm

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has agreed to fund the construction of an expressway connecting Azad Jammu Kashmir with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) via Manshera, it is reliably learned here.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will provide a loan of Rs. 44 billion to Pakistan for the construction of the 26.6-kilometer Muzaffarabad-Mansehra Expressway, according to official documents seen by ProPakistani.

The project has been approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and has been included in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). National Highway Authority (NHA) is the sponsoring agency of the project.

As per the documents, the feasibility study for the Muzaffarabad-Mansehra road project has already been done. The total cost of the project is Rs 44.72bn, the documents reveal. The proposed 4-lane expressway will connect Muzaffarabad with Mansehra through Dhani, Dhoondha, Masahan, Thurman, and Jab village and will terminate near Shinkiari on the Havelian-Thakot section of the CPEC, the document added.

The proposed Muzaffarabad-Mansehra Expressway will be an important link of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the documents claimed. According to the documents, the project has been explored, structured, and evaluated in the context of its connectivity and importance as a potential economic corridor. The scope of the work includes the construction of 11 bridges and two tunnels on the left bank of rivers Jhelum and Kunar.