Khyber Pass Economic Corridor

[2][3][4] KPEC is inspired by the historic Khyber Pass route, which traverses the Afghan–Pakistani border and has facilitated trade between Central and South Asia for millennia.

[2][5] The project is part of Corridors 5 and 6 of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC), which seeks to provide the shortest trade route between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the strategic Arabian Sea to the south.

[15] One of KPEC's primary objectives is to economically integrate South and Central Asia, which the corridor will make possible through increasing the volume of direct trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, promotion of private-sector development, expansion of transport infrastructure and economic zones up to Central Asia, reduction of transit time and costs associated with the current regional trade, and an overall increase in commercial traffic.

[4] It is expected to add substantial growth to the economy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including creating over 100,000 new jobs and promoting development in the regions adjoining the expressway.

[7][2] It would also aid in uplifting the economic development of the former tribal districts merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and significantly reduce on-road travel time between Peshawar and Torkham.