Reportedly, the visiting Vice Minister of International Department of the Cenral Committee of Communist Party of China Zheng Xiaosong in a meeting with Prime Miniser Nawaz Sharif has expressed satisfaction over the implementation of CPEC projects saying “We are satisfied with the pace of implementation work on various projects under CPEC. Mr Prime Minister! You are a household name in China. China-Pakistan friendship has entered into a new phase during the present government in Pakistan.”
It is an irrefutable reality that in view of CPEC being a future economic life-line of Pakistan, the government is striving to ensure that its projects are completed within their time-frame, particularly the energy ventures. In a meeting held on Monday PM said that the energy plan was the centerpiece of his government’s economic vision and no laxity in the execution and completion of energy projects would be tolerated.
It is estimated that power generating projects under CPEC which are already underway would add around 10966 MW electricity to the national grid by March 2018 against an expected shortfall of 7000 to 8000 MW, which means the country will have not only surmounted the energy shortage by then but would also become energy-surplus entity. It is pertinent to point out that the government is actually contemplating to produce more than 30000 MW electricity by 2022.In view of the fact that that the present distribution system was not capable to handle the increased production of electricity, the government has also undertaken the task of improving the transmission system in all part of the country.
The CPEC is undoubtedly a much needed recipe for changing economic profile of Pakistan and making it a hub of economic activity in the region and also a harbinger of regional connectivity for shared economic prosperity. It was indeed a visionary decision on the part of the government to join this initiative that has also led to exponential increase in our economic ties with our great friend China.
It is indeed gratifying to note that the government has given it a national ownership in view of its likely impact on all the four provinces and is trying to keep them in the loop in regards to the implementation of CPEC projects, unruffled by the propaganda of the detractors against it. The stakes in this regard are very high and that is why the civilian and military leadership has shown unswerving commitment to implement CPEC at all costs.
The meeting presided by the Prime Minister also reviewed the benchmarks set for the energy, transport, infrastructure and industrial projects with particular focus on development and socio-economic uplift undertakings at Gawdar, besides the agenda of China-Pakistan Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) which is scheduled to meet next week. The Prime Minister reportedly advised the planning minister to take up the inclusion of Karachi Circular Railway and Keti Bunder Port Project in the CPEC in the JCC meeting. He also advised him to consult the Chief Ministers of the provinces in regards to setting up industrial zones at places that have economic feasibility and viability for maximum economic returns and benefits for both China and Pakistan.
The Prime Minister was right on money to emphasize the need for locating the industrial zones at places which have the necessary infrastructure to support it and are economically and technically feasible, meaning thereby that only the economic considerations that lead to mutual benefits to China and Pakistan should be the overriding determinant of their location rather than political factors or appeasement of the political rivals. That really makes sense. The investors would not like to invest at a place which is not economically or technically feasible. The provinces, therefore, need to act with sense of national spirit acknowledging the indispensable imperatives in this regard.
The biggest beneficiary of CPEC would be the province of Balochistan through which all the road networks and railway will pass to connect with Gawadar. The projects that China is financing in Gawadar apart from port and international airport include East Bay Express Way, Breakwaters, 300 MW coal power plant, dredging of the harbor and the construction of 300-bed hospital. These projects will cost $ 757 million which China would provide on zero rate of interest, meaning thereby that Pakistan will have to return only the principal amount. The amount of $230 million to be spent on Gawadar International airport will be given to government of Pakistan by China as a grant which will not be paid back. A technical training center named Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute at Gawadar is also being established to impart technical training to the local residents to develop skills to operate and work at the expanded Gawadar Port. All these projects are designed to benefit the local population of Gawadar.
The propaganda against CPEC by some internal forces is without doubt politically motivated, also having parochial undertones. These elements need to realize that the CPEC was not a project pertaining to a particular province, rather it had country-wide as well as regional dimensions promising a win-win situation for all the stakeholders. The relentless efforts by some external enemies of Pakistan to sabotage CPEC, are also a ranting testimony of the fact that CPEC was indeed a game-changer and they did not want Pakistan to achieve economic progress of a level promised by this unprecedented economic venture. The designs of the external enemies can be best thwarted by forging impregnable unity on the internal front and adopting a common outlook in regards to CPEC.
.
