Ayesha Saba

The Darban Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is being set up in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, is located at the juncture of the Punjab, Balochistan and the KP provinces, thus giving easy access to 78% of Pakistan. The SEZ will cover an area of 3,000 acres of land just off the main China-Pakistan Economic Corridor route. It will be the largest economic zone in KP, providing opportunities for investors to export products to Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond.

Arbab Haroon, Marketing and Communication Officer at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC), told WealthPK that the Darban SEZ was located at an ideal location, only two kilometres from the CPEC route, giving easy access to the markets of KP, Balochistan and Punjab, which together account for over 78% of the population of Pakistan.

He said that CPEC is a shining example of cordial relationship between Pakistan and China. “The KP province stands to hugely benefit from the increased industrial activity and job prospects the Darban SEZ will create.” He said that Draban SEZ development projects have been documented and land provided to industrialists. “The key features in the SEZ include a greater opportunity to attract new businesses through provision of integrated infrastructure and a business-friendly environment for sustainable industrial growth.”

He further said that different types of industrial units would be established in Darban SEZ, including mineral, agro-based industries, food processing units, pharmaceutical and steel industries. Talking to WealthPK, Prof Fakhrul Islam, the director of the Pakistan Study Centre at the University of Peshawar, said the projects for special economic zones need to be prioritised, and small and agro-based industries should be established there as opposed to large industries, which are not very successful in the province owing to different reasons. He said the special economic zones could play a key role in promoting the development of the province provided they are executed as per the plan.

He believes that through SEZs the foreign investors will be able to tap the potential of CPEC and find export markets for their products, besides catering to the local needs. “In order to make an SEZ sustainable, it should be built with the support of the local community to fit their needs, constraints, aspirations and vision of development,” he said.

The second phase of CPEC focuses on increased industrial and agricultural cooperation between the two countries.After the successful execution of the first phase of the multi-billion-dollar project, both China and Pakistan are striving to complete the second phase to develop the region and improve people’s living standards.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk