KARACHI: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday announced that the long-term plan (LTP) for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be made public on December 18, according to a news agency.
Addressing a gathering for the CPEC Business Opportunities Conference, the minister pitched in its favour saying it is a “game-changer” for Pakistan and also mentioned that its implementation is accelerating without any smugness, keeping the rapid pace of change in the world economy in mind.
“We cannot remain idle, if the world slows, we need to create new demand. There are around three billion people living in this region and 25 per cent GDP, which the CPEC will be in a position to connect,” he said.
Criticising the western countries, Iqbal said, “The Chinese are doing what the Americans and the Europeans should have done after the end of the Afghan war that evicted the Soviets from Afghanistan.”
“That war helped bring down the Berlin Wall, and made Europe safe. But we here in Pakistan are still paying the price for it,” he added.
The Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC had approved the Long-Term Plan (LTP 2017-30) without agreeing on development projects and special economic zones on November 21.
China came up with its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative in 2013.
The project comprises a network of railways, roads and pipelines that would connect Pakistan’s port city of Gwadar in the province of Balochistan.
Khurram Husain, a leading business and economy journalist in Pakistan, in an article titled ‘China’s Road Through Pakistan’ for the Dawn, propounds the idea of making the LTP public to prevent few pertinent questions from clouding the overall positive prospects that the CPEC has for Islamabad.
Last week, people of Gilgit-Baltistan have strengthened their voice against Pakistan’s immoral imposition of taxes on them.
Shutter down strikes and massive protests by traders and local residents are continuing in Gilgit as they accuse Pakistan for misusing power.
The lawyers say imposition of any tax in Gilgit Baltistan is illegal and immoral act as people here do not have any representation in national assembly and senate.
“Since the beginning, our motto remains that ‘no taxation without representation’. If we are not given any rights, why should we pay taxes? We should be given proper rights and we are ready to pay taxes as similar to other four provinces of Pakistan. But, we should be given equal rights. It is important to collect taxes to run any country, but it is only implacable if the people are given constitutional rights. We are not given any constitutional rights, so what taxes are they collecting from us?” said Mohammad Khan, an advocate in Gilgit.