ISLAMABAD, Jun. 15 (INP): The National Highway Authority (NHA) on Friday awarded a contract to a construction company for the development of a link road connecting Tank, one of the backward districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with the Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway (M-14), a western alignment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). For the “Construction of Yarik-Tank Road (Length: 35 km) D.I Khan Development Package”, NHA awarded the contract to NPI Construction & Engineering, a Pakistani construction company, for an amount of Rs475.1 million. NPI Construction & Engineering was the lowest bidder among the four bidders. According to Gwadar Pro, in January 2023, NHA had invited applications from contractors registered with the Pakistan Engineering Council for the prequalification of the project. 

The bidding process took place in June 2023, with four companies participating in the tender. Yarik, located in Dera Ismail Khan, is the final interchange on the 293-km-long M-14 Motorway.  This motorway provides a direct link between southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad, extending connectivity beyond the capital.  The newly proposed link road will further connect Tank directly to Punjab, Islamabad, and the rest of the country. The district of Tank is known for its favorable soil conditions, ideal for cultivating tomatoes and wheat. Currently, local tribesmen grow tomatoes both for household consumption and commercial purposes. 

However, they have long faced challenges accessing major markets across the country, limiting their commercial potential.  The construction of the link road is expected to resolve these issues, enabling Tank’s tomato growers to reach broader markets and secure better prices for their produce.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China