The first transport project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was inaugurated here on Sunday. Punjab province Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Chinese officials inaugurated the projected which has been completed in six years at the cost of over USD 2.2 billion.
The overhead Lahore Orange Line Metro Train will operate between Lahore’s Dera Gujjran to Ali Town on 27Km stretch from Monday. As many as 250,000 people will be able to commute daily using the Orange Line trains.
China said Orange Line Train is also a symbol of Pakistan-China friendship and a gift for the people of Lahore. Experts from China have trained Pakistani drivers on how to operate the train. The CPEC is a collection of infrastructure and other projects under construction throughout Pakistan since 2013. Originally valued at USD 46 billion, the projects were worth USD 62 billion as of 2017.
In May, during his interaction with the journalists, CPEC Authority Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa said the working plan of both the routes from Khunjrab to Gwadar has been completed and the remaining link routes will be added into the plan in the next few months.
“The second phase of this multibillion-dollar project is crucial for the development of the country and construction work will soon be started," said Bajwa, who is also the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information.
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Gwadar’s development projects have been included in the second phase. Describing the projects in the second phase of the CPEC, Bajwa said, “Special emphasis is on agriculture, industries, trade, and science and technology sectors."
He said the highest priority was to make functional the economic zones in four provinces — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
Bajwa served as the head of the army’s media wing when General Raheel Sharif was the army chief. He was appointed as head of the CPEC Authority last year and given additional portfolio of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information last month to help improve government ties with media.
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