ISLAMABAD: Senate Special Committee on CPEC on Wednesday expressed annoyance over the absence of the federal minister in the meeting and postponed the session in protest.
The committee met in Parliament House on Wednesday under Senator Shireen Rehman and was attended by Senator Sikandar Meendhro, Senator Azam Swati, Senator Javed Abbasi, Senator Nuzhat Sadiq and other members.
Chairperson committee Senator Shireen Rehman while expressing her reservations over non-presence of federal minister Khusro Bakhtiar in the meeting said if the ministry cannot give time and importance to the committee then how it will run the project. She said if the federal minister could not come then he should have informed us in writing.
The committee is basic part of the project. She held what job should have been done by the government is being done by Chinese government. Chinese government called all the political parties of Pakistan and made consultations with them over CPEC.
It is job of government of Pakistan and not Chinese government to make consultations with the political parties of Pakistan.
There is enormous lack of transparency on the part of government in CPEC projects. She underlined that world is raising one hundred and one questions over CPEC but here federal minister cannot take part in the meeting of CPEC.
There is no much difference between the previous and present briefing. The members of committee voiced strong protest over absence of federal minister in the meeting and demanded for postponing the meeting. Senator Azam Swati said there is no other committee more important than this committee.
The reservations of members of committee are just. I will bring the concerns of members of this committee to the notice of Prime Minister. The meeting of the committee was postponed. The members of committee while expressing displeasure said government and ministers are not giving priority to parliament. Sidelining the parliament has become their routine.