Committee urges provincial govt to put forward recommendations for energy related projects and resolution of Suki Kinari land acquisition issue
Meeting of Parliamentary Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was held on Monday with Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in the chair.
During the meeting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Energy Muhammad Atif represented the KP government and presented the perspective of the province regarding energy projects to be included in the CPEC before the Parliamentary Committee.
The minister proposed 29 energy projects for their funding and inclusion in CPEC to speed up the progress. He proposed to discuss these projects in the next JCC. The members of the Parliamentary Committee welcomed the presence of the KP minister for energy. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said the government ensured representation of all provinces in all meetings of CPEC with China, including the upcoming meeting of Joint working Group on Energy in April and JCC in May.
The committee was also briefed by the National Highway Authority chairman on the issue of Dera Ismail Khan Motorway regarding the Western Route, its progress and timeline of completion. The committee welcomed the proposals from the KP government and said the federal government’s relevant ministries should take these forward after due consultation.
On the issue of registration of the indenture of lease with the government of Sindh, Water & Power Secretary Mohammad Younus Dagha reported to the committee that the issue requires the approval of all the stakeholders and that the matter will be resolved within two weeks. He also said that Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif will meet the Sindh chief minister regarding this issue during the next week to finalise a resolution of the issue.
PPIB managing director on the progress report by the committee comprising Senators Lt Gen (r) Salahuddin Tirmizi and Senator Shibli Faraz on the issue of Suki- Kinari Hydel Power Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that a revised notice for land acquisition was issued on March 16 to impose Section-4. Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed directed PPIB MD to convene a meeting with the two members of the committee including owners of the lands, deputy commissioner, power investment company and other stakeholders on March 25 at 11:00AM to resolve the issue.
Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman also attended the meeting as a special invitee and updated the committee on the project of Diamer-Bhasha dam. He informed the committee that the progress on the project is satisfactory. The new government in Gilgit Baltistan saved Rs 7.5 billion in this project. The Gilgit Baltistan chief minister also invited the Parliamentary Committee on CPEC to visit Gilgit to learn about the progress of the CPEC projects in G.B. The chairman informed the Committee that the CPEC is a project of national interest and all the provinces will be given their due share. Senator Mushahid Hussain said Gilgit-Baltistan has a key role to play in CPEC given their proximity to China. Senator Mushahid Hussain announced that the government of Balochistan would be invited to present its perspective before the Parliamentary Committee. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks for the chair.
The meeting was attended by Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs Statistics and Privatisation Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, MNA Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, MNA Asad Umar, MNA Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, Senator Sardar Fateh Muhammad Muhammad Hassani, Senator Lt Gen (r) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Senator Talha Mehmood, Senator Shibli Faraz, Senator Baz Muhammad Khan along with the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman and KP Minister for Energy Muhammad Atif.
