The Vice President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Konstantin Limitovskiy, along with Director General Mrs. Xiaohong Wang, met with the Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, to discuss ongoing and proposed communication and infrastructure projects across Pakistan.
?During the meeting, Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan emphasized that partnership and investment with the AIIB are of paramount importance to Pakistan. He stated that the government aims to complete many vital transportation and infrastructure projects within the next two years.
?"The most critical project for Pakistan right now is the Karachi-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway, which will play a pivotal role in the country’s economic development," said Abdul Aleem Khan. He assured that the Government of Pakistan will utilize all available resources to ensure its timely completion and aims to complete the project within 2 years. The Minister shared that the section of the motorway connecting to the Karachi Port will consist of 8 lanes, while the Hyderabad-Sukkur section will feature 6 lanes.
?Furthermore, the Minister announced that the Lahore-Sialkot and Kharian-Rawalpindi motorway projects are also slated for completion within the next two years. This project will reduce the travel distance between Lahore and Islamabad by 100 kilometers, saving an hour of travel time and resulting in billions of rupees in annual fuel savings.
?In a significant update regarding safety and emergency response, Abdul Aleem Khan revealed that an Air Ambulance Service and modern trauma centres will be established on the motorways in collaboration with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Expressing gratitude to the Air Chief Marshal, the Minister noted that the Air Chief's personal interest will ensure the swift launch of the Air Ambulance (helicopter) Service.
?The Federal Minister extended an invitation to the AIIB delegation to visit completed National Highway Authority (NHA) projects. The AIIB delegation expressed strong interest in collaborating with the NHA, describing their visit as pleasant and confirming that they would also be visiting Lahore.
