FATA Secretariat will manage the project of reconstruction of the Peshawar-Torkham Highway, with oversight from the National Highway Authority.
Additional Secretary Fata Dr Tashfeen Khan said this on the occasion of inauguration of the work on the project which was launched by President Asif Ali Zardari during his visit to Peshawar on Monday.
The US Consul General Robert Reed was also present on the occasion. “We feel that this is the most significant donor contribution project in the region and it is an important boost and linkage to other projects in the FATA,” said Dr. Tashfeen Khan, Additional Chief Secretary of the FATA Secretariat.
The Peshawar-Torkham Highway remains the shortest route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. However, it is outdated and has sustained substantial wear and tear over the years.
The new design will widen the roadbed, straighten sharp turns, reduce steep gradients, and rebuild bridges and culverts to make it an all-weather road.
The Peshawar-Torkham Highway is a gateway to increased trade and economic development in the region, said Consul General Reed.
“Emperor Sher Shah of Sur recognized its economic potential when he built the road nearly 500 years ago. To connect communities and facilitate trade, the United States is helping to build more than 1,000 km of roads in FATA, KP, and Baluchistan.”
Since 2009, the United States has helped build over 650 km of roads in FATA and KP, including the recently inaugurated Tank-Makin and Kaur-Wana roads in South Waziristan. The Peshawar-Torkham Highway and other U.S.-funded road projects will add over 400 km of additional roads in the coming years.
