Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday took the country''s political leadership into confidence over multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Speaking to the participants of meeting, heads as well as parliamentary leaders of political parties, as soon as briefing on the CPEC by Minister for Planning and Development concluded, the Prime Minister said that some foreign forces are opposed to the projects and the country''s leadership has to defeat the nefarious designs of some countries.
The government would continue to take the national as well as political leadership into confidence on CPEC progress through such presentations on a regular basis, said an official after the meeting. He said the nation must stand united to foil the nefarious designs against the CPEC as those projects were not for a party or an individual, rather were for the development of the entire country. Nawaz Sharif further stated that his government would do everything to remove misperception about the economic corridor as it believes in consensus on national issues. The Prime Minister said that every government in power must ensure that it hands over country to the next government in a better condition. He said different projects under the corridor would be beneficial for the nation and the country.
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal in his briefing on various aspects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor said that the projects aims at ensuring equal development to all parts of the country under a long-term programme which will complete in 2030. He said the CPEC, which will prove to be a game-changer in the region, will also go a long way in attracting international investment besides historic Chinese investment.
He said four working groups have been established in the field of energy, infrastructure, and development of Gwadar Port as well as improvement of transportation. He said both the countries have also agreed to form fifth working group on industrial parks and economic zones. He said the energy portfolio would be undertaken as per country''s power policy and all the projects would be in the IPP mode. "We have not made any new policy for China," he added. He said the government will purchase electricity from the power plants to be set up under CPEC as per its energy policy. He claimed that all these projects would be set up in the form of investment. The minister also spoke about exploitation of coal reserves and CPEC route during his briefing to the parliamentary leaders. He said that CPEC is not specific to one route but there are multiple routes for connectivity of economic corridor to the Gwadar port.
The meeting was attended by representatives and heads of political parties. The PPP delegation was led by former President and party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PTI by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, ANP by Asfandyar Wali, MQM by Farooq Sattar, JUI-F by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, JI by Liaqat Baloch, 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 and Peer Ejaz Hashmi represented their respective parties. Also in attendance were Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervaiz Khattak, Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch, Leader of House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Minister for Defence Khawaja 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 Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Advisor on National Security Sartaj Aziz and senior officials.