The federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments have discussed new projects the provincial government intends to make part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as PSDP allocations in the next fiscal year for the ongoing projects in the province, sources told Business Recorder. They said a meeting was held between Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Ahsan Iqbal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak Friday.
The discussion focused on federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for KP projects as well as new projects to be made part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by the province and country target under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting was taken place in the context of forthcoming One-Road One-Belt Conference to be held in China in May 2017 and it would be very important conference wherein numbers of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between Pakistan and China for inclusion of new projects in the CPEC.
The Friday's meeting, sources said, was part of the consultations with the provincial governments as well as AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan to know about the new projects these governments want to make part of the CPEC. The meeting with the KP chief minister was second in the row after a meeting with the AJK government and it would be followed by meetings with other provincial and GB governments.
Sources further stated that Pervez Khattak and Ahsan Iqbal also discussed PSDP allocations for the next fiscal year budget for projects in the province, especially Chashma Power, Suki Kinari Hydropower and Warsik Canal projects. The KP government would finalise and inform the federal government about the projects it wants to be made part of the CPEC in next meeting.
The KP chief minister also briefed the minister on the security arrangements put in place by the provincial government for the security of the CPEC projects in the province. Ahsan Iqbal has reportedly stated that a CPEC project has shortened the distance between Quetta and Gwadar. The minister said the two also held discussions on the SDGs and the projects in social sector infrastructure to be taken under the Prime Minister's Programme.
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