ISLAMABAD: A specially-convened All-Party Conference (APC) on Thursday gave a go-ahead to the government on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and agreed on priority development of the Western corridor to link Gwadar with Kashgar. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, chairing the second All-Party Conference here at the PM House, said the political leaders endorsed the CPEC project, aimed at building roads, 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 benefits. 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 the oversight of projects under the CPEC; and it will ensure that reservations, if any, are addressed. He said a working group would also be set up to address the reservations of 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 are 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 Safoora massacre in Karachi.
The Prime Minister appreciated the fact that terrorists involved in the killings 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 added that 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. 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 see Pakistan as the focus of Chinese investment and they too are 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. 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 People's Party delegation was headed by Syed Khurshid Shah and PTI's by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, ANP by Asfandyar Wali, MQM by Dr Farooq Sattar, JUI(F) by Maulana Fazlur 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 Professor 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, Lieutenant General 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.
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