by Tahir Ali 

 

PESHAWAR, April 7 (Gwadar Pro) – Since highways are vital for connectivity and development, the Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, a project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is all set to make Shaikh Badin top, a former hill station in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), accessible to tourists.  

  

As the 292.5 km long Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway will connect the south of the KP to the rest of the country, the Government KP has launched projects to rehabilitate historic places and tourist destinations in the south of the province. “The Government allocated rupees. 649 million for the development of ecotourism, including the rehabilitation of heritage buildings in Shaikh Badin,” MPA Faisal Amin Khan Gandapur told Gwadar Pro.

  

During the first week of April, the Government of KP launched the construction of a 16-kilometer road to connect Shaikh Badin to the CPEC western route from Paniala area in Dera Ismail Khan. Shaikh Badin will also get a 14.3-kilometer road from the Faizo side in Lakki Marwat. “The total cost of the roads is Rs. 3.4 billion,” said Mr. Gandapur.