ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water Resources, Moonis Elahi has claimed that the Chinese company has resumed work on 4,300MW Dasu hydropower project. "Good news for the nation. Construction on the project has started from Monday. The project of 4,300MW capacity is a foundation stone of Pak- China friendship. Alhamdollih, the conspiracy of Pakistan's enemies to sabotage Dasu project has been foiled," he said in a tweet.

Business Recorder ran a story on Monday that Chinese company M/s China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) agreed to resume work on Dasu Hydropower Project from Monday (yesterday). According to sources, Pakistan and China have not yet finalized compensation package for Chinese engineers/ workers killed and injured.

China has sought compensation of $38 million from Pakistan but the latter maintains that the compensation amount is exorbitant. "Most of the concerns of Chinese company including security have been addressed. However, negotiations on compensation package are under discussion," said an official on condition of anonymity.

Chinese firm ready to resume work on Dasu Dam

Pakistan has assured China that the workers would be given extraordinary security as per the recommendations of the Chinese security agency, whose officials visited the venue of the unfortunate incident along with Pakistani security personnel.

On July 14, 2021, thirteen people, including nine Chinese engineers, two locals and two personnel of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) were killed and over two dozen sustained injuries when a bus carrying the team working on the project fell into a ravine after it was hit by a car laden with explosives.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021