ISLAMABAD: The rapid expansion of business and commercial activity in Qalandarabad, a small town in the Mansehra district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is an example of how the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is changing the economic landscape of the areas it passes through.
The M-15 (CPEC’s Hazara Motorway) connects with the historic N35 near Qalandarabad, a town halfway between Abbottabad and Mansehra (Karakoram Highway or China-Pakistan Friendship Highway). People from the neighbouring hilly areas, as well as the Kohistan district of K-P, have begun to settle here in quest of a better livelihood.
“After the inauguration of CPEC M-15, the town has developed enough that residents no longer need to travel to Mansehra or Abbottabad for shopping,” a dealer stated.
Local resident Safdar Hussain noted that while this small town was once known for its German-run charity hospital, Bach Christian Hospital, it is now known for its expanding commercial operations.
According to him, the Hazara Motorway not only helped the financial situation of local investors, but also encouraged strangers to set up shop in the town.
“The town is growing so quickly,” he stated, “that it may soon compete with the old cities of Mansehra and Abbottabad.”
Malik Amjad, President of the Qalandarabad Trade Union, noted that despite the town’s small population, it has become a hub for more than 25 union councils in Mansehra and many others in Abbottabad, resulting in a surge in commercial activity.
According to Nisar Ahmed, a grocery store owner, Qalandarabad used to have only a few scattered grocery stores, but now it boasts multi-story commercial plazas with everything customers need.
Naseema Bibi, a Behali union council customer, said she disliked going to Mansehra for shopping since it was not only stressful but also time consuming.
“However, the town has grown enough since CPEC passed from the area. “I don’t have to go shopping anywhere else now,” she explained.
