Pak to build CPEC western route by middle of 2018

Pakistan today said it would complete the western alignment of the Chinese-built USD 46 billion economic corridor linking China to the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea by 2018.
A meeting of leading parties of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to share information with, and address the political reservations regarding China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
According to an official statement, it was decided that the location of industrial parks will be decided in consultation with the provinces, while allied facilities and infrastructure for the industrial parks will be set up by consultation between the federal and provincial governments.

It was also agreed that working on the principle of "One Corridor, Multiple Passages", the western route will be completed by July 15, 2018. The meeting agreed to increase the yearly allocation of Rs 40 billion for the project.
The Western Alignment for CPEC will be a 4-lane expressway in the first phase, but with a provision for subsequent conversion into 6-lane limited access motorway, for which early finalisation of land acquisition will be the responsibility of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
A high-powered committee headed by the prime minister was constituted for periodical consultation with the provinces on matters related to the CPEC. Key federal ministers of four provinces and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are part of it.

Both Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had expressed reservation over the route of the CPEC, alleging that it was diverted to benefit Punjab.

But the government said that as CPEC has eastern and western route, the western route is now being developed on priority basis, while the eastern one is already mostly developed.
The corridor passes though the strategically located Gilgit-Baltistan region of PoK which provides the only land link with China.
India has objected to the project due to the disputed status of the region.