Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said here on Saturday that missing links in the western route of Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be completed by December 2016 and thereafter cargo trucks can travel from Gawadar to Dera Ismail Khan after passing through Quetta and Zhob. "The first phase of the CPEC projects would be completed by 2017-18, second by 2020 and the third by 2030," he added.
He was speaking a national seminar on CPEC organised by University of Management and Technology (UMT) and Pakistan Institute of National Affairs (PINA). Others who spoke on the occasion included UMT's Rector Dr Hassan Sohaib Murad, PINA's secretary general Altaf Hassan Qureshee, a spokesman for Balochistan government Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar and Chinese Consul General in Lahore, Yu Boren.
Terming the CPEC `a game changer', the minister said that India is now considering utilising the CPEC route for trade with China, while America, Afghanistan and India are also considering signing such type of agreement. Ahsan said that America and European Union were unable to invest $35 billion in the energy sector, but China has announced to invest a huge amount in Pakistan's energy sector.
Pointing out that energy projects have been given emphasis in the CPEC to meet the country's growing energy requirements, the minister said that out of $46 CPEC project, $35 billion will be invested in the power sector. Referring to the reservations expressed by some people on the CPEC, he said the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cleared their misperception.
Ahsan said that Sindh is the major recipient of investment in power sector, followed by Balochistan and Punjab, so this idea that Punjab is getting a bigger share of profits, is wrong. He said that development of road infrastructure will lead to economic activities in all parts of the country, including the backward areas. He categorically stated that the $46 billion was an investment and its terms were transparent and no change has been made in its route, besides there will be equitable distribution of industrial clusters in the provinces for encouraging business-to-business mode of working.
"Not even a coma in the initial agreement reached at the first APC has been changed till date, and numerous presentations have been given to the standing committees, parliamentarians and political leaders," he added. Responding to a question, Ahsan said that China worked on three principles ie scientific planning, step-by-step development and choosing easy path first. The road network is being developed by prioritising the commercial viability as the utility of the investment was kept in mind prior to the initiating a project.
He said that the Karachi-Peshawar Motorway was an old project, and its feasibility had been prepared on the principle of commercial viability. At the outset, the minister vowed to make Gilgit-Baltistan an eco-friendly economy zone. Speaking on the occasion, a spokesman for Balochistan government Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar said:" We should differentiate between the terrorists and estranged Balochis." He said that those killing people after identifying them through their identity cards were terrorists.
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