Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Broadcasting and Chairmen of CPEC Asim Saleem Bajwa had said that the optical fiber cable network has been stretched from Khunjarab to Islamabad. In the next phase, the fiber cable line will be operationalized from Islamabad to Karachi and Gawadar. The federal government is working on a digital highway pan, and the fiber cable operationalization is the biggest milestone of the initiative.
The news was shared by Asim via a tweet last week which read: “New Optical cable operationalized from Khunjarab to Isd, next phase will be laid from Isd to Kci and Isd to Gawadar as part of the digital highway plan, foundations of digital /IT revolution-project being processed in conjunction with China .”
The optical fiber network initiative is about 820 kilometers long. The estimated cost of this project is about $44 million and has been constructed under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority. The optical fiber will cover all the areas between ISD and Khunjarab.
The fiber line is going to connect the Transit Europe-Asia Terrestrial Cable network with the Pakistan optical fiber network. The cable network transmits its telecom and internet traffic through the submarine fiber optics.
Regarding an affiliated development project, Prime Minister Imran Khan posted on the official Facebook account that about 1,800 Megawatts Kohala and Azad Pattan Hydroelectric power project is also in construction which will create over 8,000 job opportunities for the people of Pakistan. The project is in process at the Jhelum River whereas the Azad Pattan project will be built on the dual boundary between the Rawalpindi district of Punjab and the Sidhouti District of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
