Pakistan and China have agreed to perform a feasibility study and detailed design for realigning the 250-kilometer Karakoram Highway (KKH) between Thakot and Raikot.
China has committed to a G-to-G partnership and will contribute to the feasibility study and detailed design of the KKH, which is being moved for the building of the Pattan, Dasu, and Diamer Basha dams on the Indus River.
According to the source, both Pakistan and China had agreed at the CPEC Joint Working Group (JWG) on Transport and Infrastructure to work on the Term of Reference (TORs) to perform a feasibility study and detailed design at the G to G and joint technical levels. Both parties created the G-to-G Joint Technical Working Group after the JWG decision and completed the TORs/scope of services.
The feasibility study and detailed design will be carried out collaboratively by consulting firms from both sides. According to the source, the Chinese government would be responsible for engaging the Chinese consulting team. The consultancy will be funded by the latter, and it will be considered technical support from the Pakistani government.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) of Pakistan has appointed National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) to conduct a feasibility study and provide a complete design using government funding.
The feasibility and detailed design study for the realignment will be carried out jointly by consulting firms from both nations. The focus of the collaborative feasibility study is that Chinese specialists have been tasked with master designing the new alignment under technical specifications for a state-of-the-art roadway.
Furthermore, Pakistan’s consultant has been assigned the ground validation and computation of values that would form the foundation of the project’s cost for PC-I.
According to the source, certain responsibilities will be allocated to both sides, and the technology transfer to Pakistan is also part of the joint research.
