The Chinese government is eager to make the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) operational; however, lack of resources and funds are making it complicated, Aftab Sherpao, MNA and member of CPEC parliamentary committee told exclusively to Business Recorder.
Sherpao revealed that the eastern route envisaging the motorway from Punjab and Sindh (till Karachi) is under construction; however construction on the western network has not begun due to lack of funds. This, Sherpao added, is leading to Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa (KP) and Balochistan expressing their reservations that may render the Gwadar port ontroversial.
The Parliamentary Committee on CPEC is scheduled to meet on December 14 (tomorrow) in which the western route which starts from Gwadar and goes till Kashgar (China) via Balochistan, KP and Punjab will come under discussion,
Planning, Development and Reforms Minister Ahsan Iqbal will brief the CPEC parliamentary committee on matters relating to economic zones along the eastern routes including optic fibre, gas pipeline, transmission line, LNG supply lines, power generation projects. Sherpao added that so far there are no plans or blue print for the industrial zones along the route.
Minister Iqbal, Sherpao revealed, would also highlight the financial and logistic viability of the western route during the meeting. The government has already acquired land for the construction of the Western route but so far there is no concept of its utilisation, he said.
An entire military division has been deployed to provide security during construction of the CPEC, Sherpao concluded.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar, who is also a member of Parliamentary committee for CPEC, stated that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is nothing but an assemblage of different projects with no strategic plan.
While talking to Business Recorder, he said that the CPEC is not meant for connectivity only but there are certain strategic plans which need to be envisioned, adding that there are no plans of profit generation.
He said construction of road is not enough unless and until proper strategic and tactical plans are formulated. The government has formulated a planning mission committee, which will work on the development of industrial state, at this time when the construction of eastern route is almost complete.