CPEC control: Who will head Planning Commission?

— Ahsan Iqbal’s move to interior ministry may jeopardise swift CPEC implementation

— Fawwad Hassan Fawwad trying to have his hands on CPEC projects

ISLAMABAD: With no decision on the fate of Planning, Reforms and Development Commission, confusion persists in Pakistan and China about who would be looking after the timely completion of the most significant China, Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

China is investing around US$ 59 billion in Pakistan for various projects of the CPEC, ranging from energy projects like dams, coal and atomic power plants to infrastructure involving roads, railways, ports and industrial clusters as well as free economic zones.

2017 is called the take-off year for the CPEC as 19 out of the 39 Early Harvest Projects of the ‘game-changing’ CPEC have either been complete or already are in an advanced stage with an estimated cost of US$ 19 billion already invested.

Though there is no official word on who would be leading the Planning Commission, official sources claim that Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Mr Fawwad Hassan Fawwad, is making quiet efforts to take control of the Planning Commission, enabling him to get a hold on all the CPEC related projects.

Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform is the focal point and flag bearer in conceiving, monitoring and implementing the CPEC projects in unison and collaboration with the National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) of China.

Planning Commission shares the progress reports with the relevant stakeholders and departments of the Government of Pakistan, including the prime minister’s office, officials of the Chinese embassy and the NDRC on a regular basis.

“Officials in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat have long been interested in taking control of the CPEC projects. With the same ambition, an influential advisor to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had made utmost efforts to shift the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) of the CPEC at Planning Commission under the control of Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) set up at the prime minister’s secretariat,” a well-placed source privy to ongoing developments told Pakistan Today.

However, the source added, that using his influence, Minister for Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal foiled all such efforts in the past. But this time around, the effort looks more concerted and strong as the Chinese government has already been conveyed by Pakistan government that Mr Fawwad would be attending the upcoming third CPEC Security Meeting to be held in China later this month.

“Being very close to the CPEC implementation, Ahsan Iqbal, who also happens to the minister for interior, would be the most effective person to chair Pakistani delegation. Moreover, he would be a familiar face to the Chinese interlocutors,” the source added.

The new Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, also dropped a hint towards the ongoing manoeuvring inside the prime minister’s secretariat to take over the control of CPEC from the planning commission.

PM Abbasi, in his recent meeting with China’s Ambassador Sun Weidong, vowed to implement the CPEC by personally supervising the speedy completion of all projects.

Ahsan Iqbal, who has been involved with the CPEC since 2013, has worked day and night to ensure timely completion of all the CPEC projects and the shifting of the monitoring hands from Ahsan to Fawwad Hassan Fawwad may jeopardise the entire project.

“Mr Fawwad is a very talented bureaucrat who has played a key role in running affairs of the prime minister’s house. But CPEC is altogether a different ball game. Bureaucrats lack political vision and required capacity to take forward mega projects like the CPEC,” the source said.

The source said that since the CPEC has been very close to your heart, I suppose it should remain with him.

When contacted for comments, Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal said that he had already taken up the matter with the new prime minister.

“I have discussed with PM that many projects which were in final stages and some new initiatives launched in the PSDP (Public Sector Development Projects) would suffer due to lack of continuity. The prime minister also shares the concern. I hope that some solution will be found,” the minister said.

An official at the Planning Commission told this scribe that the minutes of each Progress Review Meeting of the CPEC projects are shared with all the stakeholders in Pakistan and China.

Moreover, the official added, these reports are also sent to the PMDU (Prime Minister Delivery Unit) established at the PM office. The PMDU is headed by a specially designated project coordinator and a senior joint secretary, the official elaborated.

“The PM regularly takes monthly presentation on the status of projects,” the official added.