Pakistan is building what will be the longest river bridge in southern Asia, the Ghotki-Kandhkot bridge, which covers 12.5 kilometers through the Indo River in the province of Sindh. The project, which is expected to be completed by 2028 at an estimated cost of RS30.5 billion, aims to improve regional connectivity and stimulate economic development.
“This will be the longest river bridge throughout the region of southern Asia,” said Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, special assistant of the principal minister of Sindh on investment and public-private association, during a meeting with members of the business community on Thursday.
Qamar pointed out that construction work has been in progress during the last two years and currently advances at full pace. “Our goal is to complete and inaugurate the bridge by 2028,” he added.
Strategically located in the tri-union of Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan, the bridge is expected to drastically reduce the travel time throughout the 2.5 hours to only 15 minutes. Beyond improving mobility, it is also considered a solution to the persistent problems of laws and order and kidnapping of incidents in the areas of Katcha, underdeveloped low regions near the banks of the river.
“While Ghotki has experienced industrial development and better road infrastructure, Kandhkot has been left behind. This bridge will help open job opportunities and improve life in Kandhkot,” he said.
During the meeting, Qamar and his team also presented almost a dozen infrastructure and social sector projects, including roads, schools, hospitals and special economic zones, with a combined investment potential of more than RS616 billion. The objective, he said, is to attract private sector investment through public-private associations.
The prominent business leaders who attended included Mna Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Zubair Motiwala of Kcci, industrialist Arif Habib and other key interested parties such as Arif Elahi, Danish Khan, Junaid Naqi, Zahid Saeed, Sameer Chinoy and Danish Elahi.
