The Chairperson of the Parliamentary committee for The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Senator Mushahid Hussain, met with the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Pervez Khattak and other representatives of KP government on Dec 31 2015, to discuss their questions and reservations regarding the route and the related projects in KP, with the aim to represent the KP point of view within the Parliamentary committee as well as in the Parliament. CPEC is being hailed as a fortune changing initiative which encompasses a whole gamut of industry building projects. It was conceived as the driver for developing the unindustrialized regions of Pakistan and China which in turn can greatly boost the economy of both the countries as it will serve as much needed poverty alleviation programs, especially in Pakistan. This developmental program is a brilliant opportunity to develop the areas which have not only suffered economically for decades but also have been mired with violence, extremism and separatist movements especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. On May 28 2015, in an All Parties Conference certain commitments were made by the Federal government in front of all the parties regarding the route for CPEC. It included the assurance of construction of the Western route on a priority basis and the formation of the Parliamentary committee to create a forum where the point of view of all the provinces could be communicated effectively. CM KP has indicated grave concerns over the Federal government’s failure to deliver on their commitments to KP. He reproved that the defined route has been reduced to only a road. No work has been started on any of the described projects which can actually fulfill the given commitments. Two resolutions were passed in KP assembly regarding the CPEC with specific demands. It included a railway line, an oil and gas pipeline, a fiber optic cable, energy projects for electricity and an LNG transmission line. Without these elements no industrial parks or trade zones are possible. The serious concern over the realization that all current work is aimed towards Gawadar to Rawalpindi, while no movement is seen on any work for KP must be taken seriously by the Federal government. The same situation is being faced by Hazara. All commitments made to the people of Hazara in terms of industrial parks etc. are also just verbal duping as simply a road will never lead to any development in trade in these regions. He reiterated that the Western route does not mean western road and KP is adamant on its demands for a route. KP requires a complete and comprehensive project plan to be executed according to the national commitment. CM Pervez Khattak warned the Federal government of extreme steps if KP is deprived of its due rights. A province where the industry and infrastructure has been devastated as it faced the brunt of the war on terror for more than a decade requires special attention and all the efforts by the rest of the country to pull it out of the economic slump. Additionally, the foreign investment in KP is suffering due to the arbitrary rule mandating all foreign investors to obtain NOC from the Federal government. The Federal government has been denying these NOCs stating security risks. CM KP demanded that the system of NOC be abolished for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The improvements in the law and order situation in the province have made the conditions favorable for foreign investors and the provincial government is ready to take the responsibility for security of the investors. Chairperson Mushahid Hussain reiterated that CPEC is a long term strategic national project spanning from 2015 to 2030. No single province or political party can unilaterally monopolize specifics of the project. The fortunes of Pakistan can no longer be aligned only with the development in certain parts of Punjab and the Federal government must give due diligence to alleviating the plight of the people of all the provinces and regions of Pakistan. The unleashing of the potential of this economic corridor does not rest in simply constructing a roadway but in developing the regions into industrial hubs. It is a concept involving the economic development including special economic zones, pipelines, road and railway links and technical training institutes. Mushahid Hussain reassured the Chief Minister that the Parliamentary committee constituting of the representatives of all provinces and political parties will remain the voice of all provinces equally. video by Directorate of Information & Public Relations, Govt. of KP

• published: 02 Jan 2016
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