Stakeholders discuss importance of project, want everyone’s cooperation. PHOTO: FILE
While giving a briefing to the parliamentary committee on CPEC, which met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, he said the people of Balochistan were fully supporting the CPEC and viewed it as a game changer; not just for the province but for Pakistan as a whole.
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The Balochistan CM was especially invited to present the perspective of the province along with a detailed overview of CPEC-related projects, with particular reference to his recent visit to China.
The meeting reviewed the CPEC projects and was also briefed by Chinese Acting Ambassador Zhao Lijian.
Also present, Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal briefed the committee about his recent visit to China where he said issues pertaining to the construction of Gwadar airport and the East Bay Expressway in Gwadar were resolved through mutual consultation with the Chinese side.
He said both projects would begin construction within the next three months. “A new Smart Port City Master Plan for Gwadar is also under preparation in cooperation with Chinese experts,” he said.
Moreover, Iqbal also announced that two universities on the CPEC western corridor; one in Gwadar and the other in Zhob would start functioning by September 2016.
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He also said that eco-friendly development projects for Gilgit-Baltistan have also been approved under the CPEC.
Senator Mushahid Hussain appreciated the role of the Balochistan CM for his effective support and said the CPEC was above any person, party, province or government since it was a national and strategic project spread over a span of 15 years. “Given Pakistan’s pivotal role and the special relations of Pakistan and China, the CPEC has the potential to change the destiny of the people,” he said.
On the invitation of the Chinese government, the parliamentary committee on CPEC will undertake a trip to China during May 20-27, 2016 with visits to Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou industrial park.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2016.
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