Govt misrepresenting facts on CPEC projects: Sherry Rehman

Committee raises question about ‘lapsed’ CPEC Authority

ISLAMABAD:

An upper house special committee on the corridor project on Friday expressed resentment over the ‘insufficient information’ provided by the planning ministry officials about uplift schemes, stressing that parliament needs to be taken seriously.

According to an official statement, meeting of the Senate Special Committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project – presided over by Convener Sherry Rehman – was postponed in protest as the information provided was insufficient. The panel also rejected the stance of the planning ministry.

“Briefing given by the [planning] ministry and its various allied departments is insufficient and lacks details on many aspects. The departments are shifting responsibility on one another and there seems to be no institutional collaboration,” it quoted the convener as saying.

Subsequently, the committee directed the planning ministry secretary to prioritise umbrella projects specified for Balochistan. Members were of the view that “no tangible progress” has been achieved during the last few years and despite recommendations, the provision of gas and electricity in the Bostan area of

Balochistan and its development as the special economic zone (SEZ) “seems a farce”.

About the Gwadar power plant issue, she said that two projects from Balochistan have been discussed; the SEZ and provision of energy to the port city. “[The] federal government is misrepresenting the facts on projects on Balochistan, including the SEZs, as well as the power project for Gwadar that has been caught in the NEPRA [National Electric Power Regulatory Authority] tariff forest since 2017 and has still not cranked up,” Sherry said.

Sherry, who is the PPP parliamentary leader, claimed that the SEZ at Bostan has received no Public Sector Development Programme funding and hence no progress could be achieved.

“[The] Planning Division’s unprofessional approach towards CPEC and its various umbrella projects with special reference to the development of SEZs in Balochistan and other parts of the country is disappointing,” she said, adding that the committee has decided that the planning minister (Asad Umar) would address the agenda on Balochistan himself.

Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Senator Usman Khan Kakar said that there is nothing on the ground and it is unfortunate that the 132KV grid station at Bostan could not be constructed because of the non-availability of required funds. He demanded early completion of the project with an aim to provide relief to the people.

“Questions were raised on the lapsed CPEC Authority and how it will proceed further. What coordination has been done since there is no clarity,” Sherry said.

Earlier the Board of Investment (BOI) secretary informed the panel that the BOI solicited the rationale for the plot pricing in the Rashakai SEZ from the relevant authority of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, however, the reply is awaited.

The committee was also informed about the status of the progress report on the provision of gas and electricity.

Convener Sherry said: “We are still standing where we were one year ago. Parliament needs to be respected and taken seriously”.

The committee meeting was attended by senators Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Dr Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi, Dr Asad Ashraf Nuzhat Sadiq, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi, Sitara Ayaz and Muhammad Javed Abbasi besides the planning ministry secretary and senior officers of the relevant departments.