As many as 45 projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have been completed at a total cost of $25.61 billion.
The completed projects include 17 energy projects, 15 infrastructure projects, and 13 projects related to economic and social development.
Among the major completed energy projects are the Sahiwal and Port Qasim coal-fired power plants, which were completed at a combined cost of $1.91 billion. The 884-megawatt Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Kaghan was also completed under CPEC for $1.99 billion.
In the infrastructure sector, the 392-kilometer Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) was completed for $2.8 billion, while Lahore’s 27-kilometer Orange Line Metro Train project was completed at a cost of $1.6 billion.
However, several major CPEC projects continue to face delays due to financing, approval, and implementation-related issues.
The 1,733-kilometer Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project remains stalled due to delays in financial arrangements and approvals. The 43-kilometer Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) has also faced delays after being shifted to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Government documents noted that prolonged deliberations and procedural delays had adversely affected the project’s progress.
Work on several projects in Gwadar, including the Gwadar Hospital and Vocational Institute, was also slowed by COVID-19-related restrictions. Similarly, work on the 210-kilometer Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob Highway was halted following a decision regarding local financing.
