- Leaders from major political parties vow full support to ambitious road project
- Steering Committee constituted with premier at the helm to keep a check on western route’s progress
- All four CMs to meet every three months to review progress on project implementation
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday directed that the western route of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) be put on the fast track for completion by 2018, while the consultative meeting decided that the premier would head a steering committee to keep a check on CPEC progress.
The prime minister, after chairing a consultative meeting with the political leaders at the Prime Minister’s House, also announced the constitution of a steering committee, comprising chief ministers of all four provinces to review the progress on the Western route.
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 would personally supervise implementation of the western route of the 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 would be done in consultation with the provinces.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the corridor would 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 would be initiated after consultation with the political leadership.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed mirrored Iqbal’s comments, and added that the entire political spectrum had expressed support for the government in completing the mega project.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Fazlur Rehman said the “western route will be given top priority.”
“It will comprise four lanes and may be extended to six,” he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said PM Nawaz has assured to address “our reservations”.
Khattak said that the Orange Line Train is also a part of CPEC, but it was not a priority for his party. He said details of the project would be shared with all stakeholders, adding that the provincial government will “extend full support to CPEC”.
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq termed the meeting as “fruitful”. He said his party had forwarded their “proposals for CPEC.
The participants of the meeting endorsed their full support to the ambitious road project that will link Gwadar with the Chinese border, and serve as a major link to the Central Asian Republics.
While talking to the media after the meeting, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the suggestion to form the steering committee directly headed by the premier had been put forth, and it had been accepted.
PM Nawaz also directed fast track implementation of the western route of the corridor, as all political parties agreed to support the project, said a statement from the PM Office.
The meeting was also attended by Awami National Party’s (ANP) Asfand Yar Wali, Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (PK-MAP) leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Jamaat-e-Islami chief (JI) Sirajul Haq, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Khanzada Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Ajmal Wazir and Qaumi Watan Party’s (QWP) Aftab Sherpao.
CONCERNS ON CPEC
The $46 billion project spearheaded by China is expected to transform Pakistan’s economy and benefit the entire region. However, it 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 that the federal government would face strong resistance if the original route of CPEC were 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.”
KP Chief Minister Khattak had also recently warned that his government would not allow CPEC to pass through the province if the centre denied the due share in its route to the them.
Khattak lambasted Punjab for “trampling on the rights of smaller provinces” and said that 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.
However, the federal government has repeatedly assured all parties that both routes will be developed as planned and all stakeholders will be made part of the decision-making.