Four CPEC Road Projects in Western Zone Show 66% Fund Utilisation

Hoshab-Awaran, Awaran-Naal, Basima-Khuzdar, and Zhob-Kuchlak Projects Cover 718 Kilometres Across Balochistan

Four CPEC Road Projects in Western Zone Show 66% Fund Utilisation


Four ongoing road projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan's western zone have recorded Rs 54.9 billion in releases and expenditure against a combined allocation of Rs 83.2 billion, according to official documents.

The projects, listed under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the period from 2020-21 to 2026-27, cover a combined road length of 718 kilometres. They include the 146-kilometre Hoshab-Awaran section of the M-8, the 168-kilometre Awaran-Naal section of the M-8, the 106-kilometre Basima-Khuzdar section of the N-30, and the 298-kilometre Zhob-Kuchlak section of the N-50.

According to the documents, the Hoshab-Awaran section has an allocation of Rs 18.30 billion, against which Rs 9.75 billion has been recorded under releases and expenditure. The Awaran-Naal section has received an allocation of Rs 27.28 billion, with Rs 20.45 billion shown under releases and expenditure. For the Basima-Khuzdar N-30 project, Rs 12.97 billion has been recorded against an allocation of Rs 13.75 billion. The Zhob-Kuchlak N-50 project has an allocation of Rs 23.85 billion, while releases and expenditure stand at Rs 11.707 billion.

An analysis of the official figures shows that the combined Rs 54.9 billion in releases and expenditure represents approximately 66 percent of the total Rs 83.2 billion allocation. Among the four projects, the Basima-Khuzdar section has the highest ratio of releases and expenditure to allocation at approximately 94 percent, followed by Awaran-Naal at around 75 percent. The corresponding ratios are approximately 53 percent for Hoshab-Awaran and 49 percent for Zhob-Kuchlak.

The figures also reveal a gap of approximately Rs 28.3 billion between the combined allocations and the amounts recorded under releases and expenditure.

The official document identifies these schemes as ongoing road projects under CPEC in Balochistan's western zone. An accompanying CPEC alignment map identifies four principal alignments: Common, Western, Central, and Eastern. According to the map, the Common Alignment extends over 983 kilometres, while the Western Alignment covers 1,511 kilometres. The Central and Eastern alignments extend over 1,440 kilometres and 1,709 kilometres, respectively.

The four Balochistan road projects form part of the wider CPEC road connectivity framework, with the official figures providing a detailed breakdown of their allocations and cumulative releases and expenditure under the stated PSDP period. These projects are expected to enhance regional connectivity, reduce travel times, and stimulate economic activity across some of Pakistan's most remote areas.