CPEC western route accelerates urbanisation around new airport

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 26 (DNA): The Hakla-D.I.Khan section of CPEC western route (M-14) has triggered a massive wave of real estate investments in Fateh Jang tehsil, making it a new hotspot for housing schemes adjacent to new airport, says a report published by Gwadar Pro on Tuesday.

Fateh Jang is the first interchange towards D.I.Khan on CPEC western route after Hakla, which connects M-14 to M-1.

This tehsil also hosts the new Islamabad international airport while the $ 8.2 billion CPEC project of Pakistan Railways’ Mail Line-1 also passes through Fateh Jang.

According to the report, as the M-14 nears completion with June 2021 as the expected timeline for inauguration, Fateh Jang has gained enormous importance for urbanisation as people start relocating to areas around motorways and the CPEC route for better connectivity and future prospects including industrialisation.

The planned Rawalpindi Ring Road also intersects with the CPEC route near the new Islamabad airport, a further addition to the importance of this beautiful area.

With about 90% works of the 285-kilometre M-14 already done, several housing schemes have emerged near Fateh Jang interchange while the existing societies have accelerated development to attract investors.

Islamabad Cooperative Housing Society (ICHS) was once a forgotten scheme, but has now become an attraction as its main gate is located near the Fateh Jang interchange.

The Avenue-3 is also one of the several new housing projects to benefit from this interchange.

Another interchange expected on M-14/N-80 intersection and the Hakla interchange on M-1 will provide hassle-free connectivity with Islamabad to sector D-17 of the capital and the cooperative housing societies developed by various agencies of the federal government for their employees.

Investors believe that in the years to come, M-14 is going to give birth to a third major city in Fateh Jang tehsil near Islamabad.

Haider Khan purchased a vast stretch of land 8-kilometres away from Fateh Jang interchange on M-14 and is still looking for further deals. “Though not a territorial part of the capital, but due to the M-14 section of the CPEC, Fateh Jang is fast emerging as a new sister city of Islamabad,” he said.

“You can’t imagine the scale of development around Islamabad after the completion of M-14. As the Punjab government also plans to establish several industrial zones on the Rawalpindi Ring Road passing through Fateh Jang tehsil, this area is going to become a new business hub with the CPEC western route serving as the pivot,” said Saeed Shah, a construction contractor.

Sultan Abbas, a property dealer, said that it was becoming hard for ordinary citizens to own a house in a proper housing society near Islamabad due to exorbitant prices.

“However, M-14 is giving new hopes to those in search of shelter near Islamabad as it has expanded the city almost 30 kilometres towards the west,” he said.