ISLAMABAD: A consultative meeting on Friday decided to form a steering committee headed by the prime minister to oversee the implementation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his office and was attended by representatives of all political parties and provinces. Its aim was to allay the concerns and reservations over the construction of the economic corridor. Prime Minister Nawaz also directed fast track implementation of the western route of the corridor, as all political parties agreed to support it, said a statement from the PM Office. All four chief ministers will be included in the committee, which would meet every three months to review progress on the project’s implementation.
The statement added that the prime minister will personally supervise implementation of the western route of CPEC to ensure that reservations of all political parties are addressed with consultation. The meeting discussed the details of the project, its route and the setting up of economic zones at strategic locations. In the meeting it was agreed that the location and setting up of the economic zones along the CPEC route would be done in consultation with the provinces. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the corridor will benefit all provinces.
“The premier will head a committee comprising all four chief ministers, federal ministers and chief secretaries to oversee implementation,” he said, adding that PM Nawaz has assured the political leadership their reservations will be addressed. Iqbal said work on the western route will be initiated after consultation with the political leadership. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed mirrored Iqbal’s comments and added that the entire political spectrum had expressed support for the government in completing the mega project. JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman said the “western route will be given top priority.”
“It will comprise four lanes and may be extended to six.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said PM Nawaz has promised to address “our reservations”. He said details of the project will be shared with all the stakeholders, and the provincial government will “extend full support to CPEC”. Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq termed the meeting “fruitful.” He said his party had forwarded their “proposals for CPEC”. The $46 billion project spearheaded by China, which is expected to transform Pakistan’s economy and benefit the entire region, created divisions among political ranks in Pakistan after it was alleged that the “original route” of the corridor had been changed.
Earlier this month, QWP Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said the federal government would face strong resistance if the original route of CPEC was changed. “We appreciate and support this mega project and we want to make it a success as soon as possible. But the federal government seems to be less interested in the western route.” Pervez Khattak had recently warned that his government won’t allow CPEC to pass through the province if Centre denied the due share in its route to the latter.
Khattak lambasted Punjab for “trampling on the rights of smaller provinces” and said everything was being manipulated to benefit the country’s largest province. These apprehensions of political parties in Balochistan and KP rose from fears that the federal government will focus only on the eastern route, rather than the western route that mostly passes through KP and Balochistan. CPEC is a 3,000-kilometer network of roads, railways and pipelines to transport oil and gas from Gwadar Port to Kashgar city, northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan in May 2013, it will act as a bridge for the new Maritime Silk Route that envisages linking three billion people in Asia, Africa and Europe.
DAILY TIMES.
YEMI.
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