PESHAWAR: The historical Khyber Pass connecting Pakistan with Afghanistan is to get a revamping under the Peshawar-Torkham motorway project.
Perkash Lohano, the NHA general manager (planning), told Arab News that the World Bank-funded project includes the 47-kilometer Peshawar-Torkham motorway and also the overall development of Torkham border town in Khyber tribal district.
The four-lane motorway will have a service area, toll plaza, and filling station.
The time period for completion is two years but the overall project, including the development of Torkham roads linked to the motorway, will take four years, said the official.
“Besides four roads to be constructed in Torkham town, one modern truck stand and one bus stand will also be set up in the area. All this will be done under a proper master plan,” Lohano said.
The Khyber tribal district deputy commissioner, Islam Zeb, said the project is meant to enhance trade through Khyber Pass, which has traditionally been a strategic route.
According to an official document by NHA available with Arab News, the estimated cost of the project is $449 (MILLION???).
The document shows that the government Pakistan will provide 6.3 percent of the cost while the World Bank will provide 93.7 percent of the funds for the project.
The document adds that an estimated 7,817 vehicles would ply the proposed motorway every day. It adds that there are two components, one about the construction of the motorway and the second component is the development of the area.
The second component of the project includes technical assistance worth $7.0 (IS THAT 7, OR 70???) million and infrastructure investment worth $65 million. The technical assistance includes proposed designs and ideas for tourism development, the Khyber Pass Museum, preservation of Khyber Pass cultural heritage, industrial zones, etc.
Similarly, the infrastructure investment includes development of a service area, economic zones, a commercial area, truck terminal and warehouse facility, connecting roads and an urban development initiative in western greater Peshawar plan, an integrated bus terminal, cargo processing, traffic management and road safety.
Perkash said that after completion of the Peshawar-Torkham motorway, phase two would begin, by constructing the Torkham-Jalalabad (inside Afghanistan) and Jalalabad-Kabul motorways. The total length of the Peshawar-Kabul motorway is 281 kilometers. The other sections are Peshawar-Torkham (49km), Torkham-Jalalabad (76km) and Jalalabad-Kabul (155km).
The Khyber Pass is one of the world’s ancient routes, and known as the route of the invaders. The Persians, Mongols, Tartars, Moghuls and Afghans have all used this route during their expeditions between the 9th and 16th centuries.
Alexander the Great also sent his army to the plains of India through the Khyber Pass in 326 BC.
The route has much significance for trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan and onward through Central Asia.
Ancient Khyber Pass, the Pak-Afghan future trade route under way
Ancient Khyber Pass, the Pak-Afghan future trade route under way
EU, Pakistan sign €60 million loan agreement for clean drinking water in Karachi
- Project will finance rehabilitation, construction of water treatment facilities in Karachi city, says European Investment Bank
- As per a report in 2023, 90 percent of water samples collected from various places in city was deemed unfit for drinking
ISLAMABAD: The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Pakistan’s government on Wednesday signed a €60 million loan agreement, the first between the two sides in a decade, to support the delivery of clean drinking water in Karachi, the EU said in a statement.
The Karachi Water Infrastructure Framework, approved in August this year by the EIB, will finance the rehabilitation and construction of water treatment facilities in Pakistan’s most populous city of Karachi to increase safe water supply and improve water security.
The agreement was signed between the two sides at the sidelines of the 15th Pak-EU Joint Commission in Brussels, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“Today, the @EIB signed its first loan agreement with Pakistan in a decade: a €60 million loan supporting the delivery of clean drinking water for #Karachi,” the EU said on social media platform X.
Radio Pakistan said the agreement reflects Pakistan’s commitment to modernize essential urban services and promote climate-resilient infrastructure.
“The declaration demonstrates the continued momentum in Pakistan-EU cooperation and highlights shared priorities in sustainable development, public service delivery, and climate and environmental resilience,” it said.
Karachi has a chronic clean drinking water problem. As per a Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) study conducted in 2023, 90 percent of water from samples collected from various places in the city was deemed unsafe for drinking purposes, contaminated with E. coli, coliform bacteria, and other harmful pathogens.
The problem has forced most residents of the city to get their water through drilled motor-operated wells (known as ‘bores’), even as groundwater in the coastal city tends to be salty and unfit for human consumption.
Other options for residents include either buying unfiltered water from private water tanker operators, who fill up at a network of legal and illegal water hydrants across the city, or buying it from reverse osmosis plants that they visit to fill up bottles or have delivered to their homes.
The EU provides Pakistan about €100 million annually in grants for development and cooperation. This includes efforts to achieve green inclusive growth, increase education and employment skills, promote good governance, human rights, rule of law and ensure sustainable management of natural resources.
