Aleem Khan meets Chairman CRBC Du Fei, discusses investment opportunities in M-6, M-9 Motorways

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan held a detailed meeting with Chairman of the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Du Fei, during his official visit to Tianjin, focusing on expanding Chinese investment in Pakistan’s road infrastructure sector.

The two sides discussed a range of issues including bilateral cooperation in road infrastructure development, particularly the construction of key highways such as the Mansehra–Naran–Jhal Kand Motorway as well as investment opportunities, technical assistance and future collaboration in various other transport projects, said a press release issued here on Friday.

During the meeting, Chairman Du Fei stated that CRBC, a prominent Chinese State-Owned Enterprise, is currently operating in over 70 countries across Asia, Europe, America, and Africa. He expressed his interest in expanding CRBC’s footprints in Pakistan, describing it as an honour to contribute to infrastructure development there. It was highlighted that from 1995 to 2023, CRBC successfully took part in several landmark projects in Pakistan, including the Sukkur Bypass, Karakoram Highway, Karachi Coastal Highway while since last year, CRBC has also expressed keen interest in major initiatives such as the ML-1 Railway Project, Pakistan Refinery upgrades, expansion of Lahore Airport and the Raikot to Thakot Highway.

Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan assured Chairman CRBC Du Fei of his full support and cooperation, expressing confidence that this institution would continue to play a vital role in enhancing Pakistan’s communications infrastructure through strategic and high-impact contributions.

In a separate high-level meeting, the Federal Minister engaged with senior Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) officials, including Chief Investment Officer Konstantin Limitovskiy and Director General Public Sector Ms. Xiaohong Yang. He presented the M-6 Sukkur–Hyderabad and M-9 Karachi–Hyderabad motorways as viable investment opportunities, stressing their importance in linking major trade hubs with the Karachi Port and facilitating economic growth.

He emphasized that the development and modernization of Pakistan’s road infrastructure remains a top priority for the Government. He stated that strategic projects like M6 and M9 which are directly connected to the Karachi Port have the potential to transform Pakistan’s economy.

Highlighting the significance of Pak China collaboration, Abdul Aleem Khan said that a partnership with AIIB would pave the way for accelerated development in Pakistan. He added that the growing Pak-China friendship is not only beneficial for both countries but also plays a vital role in promoting regional connectivity and prosperity.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan further noted that various Chinese financial institutions are already investing in infrastructure projects across Pakistan and this relation between Pakistan and China continues to strengthen with time.

He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to creating more opportunities for international financial institutions to invest in Pakistan’s infrastructure sector. Investment in infrastructure is a guarantee of employment generation and economic prosperity, he stated. “At present, Pakistan is actively working on major highway developments and cross-border land connectivity projects, Abdul Aleem Khan highlighted in the meeting. Senior officials of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank expressed their interest in supporting various development initiatives in Pakistan and voiced optimism that this meeting would yield positive outcomes.