Khalifa road completed in Pakistan

85 percent of work has been completed on construction of the UAE-funded Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road, currently under construction in South Waziristan, Director of UAE Project to Assist Pakistan (PAP), Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, said.The building of the $38.01 million-road, one of the largest and most important projects in Pakistan, is under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to develop and modernise infrastructure in Pakistan's remote and poor regions, Al Ghafli added in a statement to WAM.As the first paved road in Southern Waziristan and a strategic corridor between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road will enhance the transport system in the region's rough terrain by linking a large number of its cities and villages to major cities.With half of it in mountainous areas, the 50-km Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road features five bridges and its height ranges between 4600 and 8600 feet.Al Ghafli added that work is underway on the strategic motorway between Wana and Angoor Ada in South Waziristan despite the region's rough geography and harsh weather conditions.All engineering teams and consultants intensified work to implement the project on time in accordance with the best international standards of excellence."The UAE, under its wise leadership has always been at the first responder to meet the needs of the population in Waziristan in line with the directives and initiatives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to assist the friendly people of Pakistan by a number of development and humanitarian projects," Al Ghafli said.Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Project to Assist Pakistan (PAP) is currently carrying out 28 development and humanitarian projects worth $54.5 million in South Waziristan alone, he noted.These include two colleges for males and females, a $5.1 million modern model school for 1200 students. Education assistance also included 3000 school bags for male and female students.PAP is also building the 50-bed Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Hospital, dedicated to the treatment of women, children and the elderly, and is rehabilitating three current 50-bed hospitals at a cost of $4.3 million. The UAE's healthcare projects in the region will serve 35000 inhabitants in the region, according to the official.Twenty projects worth $2.1 million are under construction by PAP in Waziristan to provide pure drinking water from wells and purification and pumping stations which will serve around 6500 households.PAP also gave out 5000 food parcels and large quantities of dates to refugee and poor families in South Waziristan, Al Ghafli added.