AIIB eyes motorway, energy investment projects

ISLAMABAD: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Vice President Konstantin Limitovskiy met Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari to discuss transport infrastructure and energy-sector cooperation, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

During the meeting with the communications minister, Abdul Aleem Khan said the government was targeting completion of key transport schemes within two years. He identified the Karachi-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway as the most important projects for economic development.

According to the statement, the stretch linked to Karachi Port is planned as an eight-lane road, while the Hyderabad-Sukkur section will be built with six lanes. The minister said all available resources would be used to complete the projects on time.

He also said the Lahore-Sialkot and Kharian-Rawalpindi motorways were scheduled to be completed within the same two-year period. The statement said these schemes would shorten the distance between Lahore and Islamabad by 100 kilometres, cut travel time by one hour and generate annual fuel savings worth billions of rupees.

Motorway safety measures discussed

The official statement said a motorway safety initiative was also discussed under which an air ambulance service and modern trauma centres would be set up on motorways in cooperation with the Pakistan Air Force.

Limitovskiy, according to the statement, showed strong interest in working with the National Highway Authority (NHA). The statement added that he described the visit as pleasant and confirmed that the delegation would also travel to Lahore.

Power sector reforms and investment interest

In a separate engagement, Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari briefed the AIIB delegation on reforms in the power sector and the government’s future priorities.

Leghari said Pakistan was concentrating on improving efficiency, transparency and sustainability in the energy sector, according to the official statement.

The AIIB delegation also expressed interest in investment opportunities in Pakistan’s energy sector. The statement said the delegation pointed to a possible investment pipeline of $100-150 million.

Referring to its experience in other countries, the delegation said it was examining opportunities to support renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure and transmission projects in Pakistan.

The meetings come as Pakistan continues to engage with the AIIB on infrastructure and development financing. The discussions outlined in the official statement focused on road connectivity, motorway safety, power-sector reform and potential future investment in energy and transmission-related projects.