Minister’s absences irks Senate panel on CPEC

Sherry Rehman says China is doing work that the government should do

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Special Committee on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Wednesday postponed discussion due to absence of Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar.

The Board of Revenue Chairman Haroon Sharif, who is also minister of state for investment, and Secretary Planning Zafar Hassan were present to elaborate the points before the committee but it decided to postpone the meeting without taking up any agenda item.

The committee took notice of absence of Bakhtiar and directed that the minister should be present in the next meeting.  The meeting was chaired by Sherry Rehman and attended by Muhammad Ali Shah, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Dr Asad Ashraf, Azam Khan Swati, Attaur Rehman, and Muhammad Javed Abbasi.



On the occasion, Secretary Planning Zafar Hassan said the minister could not attend the Senate meeting as he was engaged in another meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet.

Rehman, however, said this meeting was also equally important so he should have ensured his presence.  “The Chinese government last month consulted with all political parties of Pakistan on CPEC,” she said, adding that China government is doing the work that the government should do.