APC gives go-ahead to CPEC; Western corridor to be completed on Priority
ISLAMABAD, (By;Asghar Ali Mubarak ):
APC gives go-ahead to CPEC; Western corridor to be completed on Priority
A specially convened All Parties
Conference (APC) Thursday gave a go-ahead to the government on
the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and agreed
on priority development of the Western corridor to link Gwadar
with Kashgar.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, chairing the second
All Parties Conference here at the PM House, said the political
leaders endorsed the CPEC project, aimed at building road, rail
networks, airports and sea ports, along with economic zones and
power houses across the country.
The meeting was convened to discuss the China Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC), its route, related projects and to
seek suggestions to ensure that all provinces get equal
benefit. The earlier APC on the CPEC meeting was held on
May 13, however it remained inconclusive.
The Prime Minister thanked the national political leadership
for their support and said a parliamentary committee would also be
set up for oversight of the projects under the CPEC and to ensure
that reservations, if any, are addressed. He said a working group
would also be set up to address the reservations of the provinces.
He said the CPEC would help Pakistan achieve its cherished
dream of becoming a developed country and said the project would
not only help economic growth of Pakistan, but would also benefit
the regional countries.
He was appreciative of the political leadership of the
country for standing united on the important national issue and
for a consensus decision.
He said the CPEC would help equitable development across
the country and noted with appreciation the role of China in
this regard.
The Prime Minister thanked the political leaders for
joining him on an issue of national importance and said gone
were the days when political leaders of rival parties were
involved in bickering and agitational politics.
On the contrary, he said the current era was totally
different, as all political forces now stood together to work
for development and progress of the country and to further
strengthen democracy.
He termed it a healthy tradition and hoped and prayed
that the good convention of collective decision making on
vital national issues, continues.
He said the last meeting remained inconclusive and
added no consensus could be achieved owing to the tragic
Safora incident in Karachi in which around 45 innocent
lives were lost at the hands of terrorists.
The Prime Minister appreciated the fact that the
terrorists involved in the killing of members of Ismaili
community were nabbed and vowed that those responsible
would get an exemplary punishment.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the political parties
gave high priority to the interests of Pakistan and said
unprecedented investment from China was pouring in the
country as numerous projects were in the pipeline.
He particularly lauded the all out support of China
to Pakistan on the mega project, which he said, would serve
to be a landmark achievement.
Stressing the need of evolving consensus on the issue,
the Prime Minister said, having difference of opinion was a
healthy tradition and helps in bringing about improvements.
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal who
had given a detailed briefing at the last session, briefly
updated the participants and said the world today saw Pakistan
as the focus of Chinese investment and they too were keen
to invest.
He clarified the misconceptions about the project and
said it was not confined to a single physical route, rather
it was a concept that included roads, airports, ports, energy
and development projects.
He said the US 46 billion Chinese investment was not
meant to be distributed as it relates to several energy, road
and rail projects all over the country. He also gave a breakdown
of various projects and clarified that the Orange Line in Lahore
was not part of CPEC.
He said no new road was being constructed as part of the
route, rather existing road network was being improved and
interconnectivity increased so that the entire country benefited.
He said roads along three major alignments would be upgraded for
improved North-South connectivity.
Ahsan Iqbal said a working group comprising representatives
of the provinces would study the feasibility of setting up viable
economic zones along the Western, Eastern and Central routes.
He invited the representatives of political parties for their
input and suggestions in this regard. He said the projects along
the western alignment would be completed by 2016.
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq briefed the
participants about the upgradation of rail routes. He said a
new rail track would be constructed to link Gwadar Port with
national rail link.
The meeting was attended by representatives and heads of
political parties. The Pakistan Peoples Party delegation was
headed by Syed Khurshid Shah, PTI delegation by Shah Mahmood
Qureshi, ANP by Asfandyar Wali, MQM by Farooq Sattar, JUI(F) by
Maulana Fazalur Rehman, JI by Siraj ul Haq, BNP by Dr Jehanzeb
Jamaldini, and PML(Q) by Mushahid Hussain Syed.
Mehmood Khan Achakzai of PKMAP, Hasil Khan Bizanjo of NP,
Ijaz-ul-Haq of PML(Z), Aftab Ahmed Sherpao of QWP, Senator Prof
Sajid Mir, Syed Ghazi Jamal and Alhaj Shah Jee Gul from FATA,
Peer Ejaz Hashmi represented their respective political parties.
Also in attendance were Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali
Shah, KPK Pervaiz Khattak, Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch, Leader
of House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Minister for Defence
Kh Muhammad Asif, Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for
Information Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Railways
Kh Saad Rafiq, Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister for Safron,
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Affairs Irfan
Siddiqui, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs
Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistants Barrister Zafarullah Khan and
Khawaja Zaheed Ahmed.
