Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform, and Ahsan Iqbal has said with ownership of provincial governments, all proposed nine industrial zones under China Pakistan Economic Corridor would be completed in a period of two to three years.

He expressed these views while answering in Senate’s questions hour. He informed that provincial governments have speeded up homework on implementation of these industrial zones, planned to be set up under industrial cooperation between China and Pakistan, being introduced with successful implantation of projects in energy and transport infrastructure sector.

“To take advantage of Pakistan’s natural resources, economic zones will be established under CPEC, one each in all the four provinces, FATA, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and two by the Federal Government in Islamabad Capital Territory and Port Qasim at Karachi”.

Minister said that industrial clusters would be set up from Gwadar to Chitral to use the natural resources. Similarly, government had executed its plan of utilizing untapped coal reserves in Thar, a black gold which has a capacity to produce power for 400 years.

Minister further said with the help of technology in marble mining sector, a modern marble city would be established in Mohamand Agency, FATA.

Ahsan Iqbal said energy crisis in the country is going to end soon due to the effective and fast-track measures taken by the present government. “10,000 megawatt of electricity will be added to the national grid from May 2017 to 2018”, he added.