On the record: CM’s letter to Centre shows signs of mistrust

Khattak seeks reply in written to dispel misconception over CPEC’s western route

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has been maintaining a record of its communication with the federal government.

A glimpse of this lack of trust was felt when the K-P government made public what happened in a meeting held with the federal government over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on February 15. At the same time, the CM Secretariat sent a letter to the Centre, seeking a reply so that things remain on the record. A copy of the letter is available with The Express Tribune.

The K-P government did not only make the details public via a letter addressed to Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal. But it also sought a reply to, “[Dispel] misconception over western corridor and provide credible evidence to [the] public at large.”

In the letter, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak conveyed his unflinching faith in the federal minister where, at the same time, expected decisions on the agreed CPEC items would be implemented in true spirit.

“However, in order to dispel the misconceptions about the western corridor, there is a need to provide credible evidence to the public that holds the interest of the province very dear to its heart. It will be therefore extremely pertinent to request you to reiterate and acknowledge your comments through a letter, which will be awaited,” the letter stated.

The letter, issued on March 4, read the chief minister wanted Iqbal’s input on the meeting held on February 15 wherein various decisions were taken regarding CPEC’s western route. It read a decision was taken during the meeting that the western corridor will have eight industrial estates.

“Under CPEC, the western corridor will have eight industrial parks established in Battagram, Mansehra, Haripur, Karnal Sher Khan Interchange on motorway (M-I), Malakand-Chakdara Interchange, Swat, Bannu (Indus Highway) and DI Khan,” the letter read, adding K-P government will provide commercial feasibility of the parks.

It further said the planning commission would initiate action to ensure all the prerequisite amenities, including electricity, gas, telephone lines, fibre optic, railway lines and all other relevant services, are provided by the federal government as soon as the land (to be provided by K-P government) was made available for the parks.

The letter stated industrial estates will be included in economic policy, transport and social sector policy as per CPEC components, which include circular railway line from Peshawar to Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda and back to the provincial capital.

The components also include Western Railway Track, besides motorway from DI Khan to the provincial capital and motorway from Taxila via Kohat-Jhand. K-P government proposed it may be formally associated with CPEC Directorate in the federal capital on full-time basis.

“Members of the provincial government will be included in the joint working group and joint coordination committee, energy, industry, transport committee and any other group of the CPEC from now onwards,” the CM’s letter said.

According to the letter and decision for the meeting held on February 15, the ground-breaking ceremony of the western corridor will be held on July 18, and the planning commission will assure and communicate in writing availability of the funds, along with allocation and fixed timeline for the construction of the western route and connected facilities.

Khattak once criticised the Centre for misleading the K-P government, saying CPEC does not include any projects for the province. Khattak alleged the federal government had kept the provincial government in the dark and had assured him the western route would pass through K-P.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information and Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani could not be reached despite repeated attempts for an official version. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2016.