Lawmakers from the upper house the other day expressed concerns regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) turning into another East India Company if the country’s interests were not protected.
Senator Tahir Mashhadi, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development, said that despite being proud of China-Pakistan friendship, it is necessary that the interests of the country were given a priority.
The East India Company was the British trading mission sent to India, which became the precursor to the British colonial presence in the subcontinent, eventually gaining power and overthrowing the Mughals who ruled India at the time.
A number of committee members raised the issue that local financing was being utilised for CPEC projects, instead of funding from the Chinese or any other foreign investment. They also expressed concern over the fixing of power tariff for CPEC-related power projects by the Chinese.
The meeting was informed that a major portion of the CPEC depended on local finances rather than Chinese investment.
Highlighting the status of CPEC-related power projects, the Planning Commission secretary said that the Matiari-Lahore transmission line project had “not been scrapped” and was being pursued by its Chinese sponsors.
Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Senator Sirajul Haq said that like certain other parts of the country, Fata and AJK were also being neglected in the CPEC. “There is nothing for both areas in the CPEC,” he said and suggested that a 35km road was built to link Muzaffarabad to the CPEC so that the people of AJK could also reap its benefits.
Senators should first focus on reciting Surah Ikhlas properly and stop commenting on anything which is above their intellect.
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