CPEC body for vacating Gwadar land

Says occupation of land hampering work on Gwadar Port, development of free zone

ISLAMABAD:

The Cabinet Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has conditioned the surrendering of 20 acres of prime land in Gwadar in favour of Pakistan Navy on the written consent of Chinese operators after the Navy refused to vacate the land due to “security reasons”.

Headed by Planning Minister Asad Umar, the CPEC committee once again told Pakistan Navy to immediately vacate another 52 acres of land, as the occupation of land was hampering work on Gwadar Port and the development of its free zone.

The 72 acres of land, which is currently in possession of the Navy, is part of the concessional agreement that Pakistan signed in November 2015 with China Overseas Port Holdings Company Limited (COPHCL) for 40-year lease of Gwadar Port.

The cabinet committee has not accepted Pakistan Navy’s plea, requesting permission to keep 20 acres of land, said Planning Minister Asad Umar while talking to The Express Tribune.

He said that until the Chinese contractors agreed, the land could not be given to Pakistan Navy.

In February last year, the Cabinet Committee on CPEC had directed different ministries to immediately get 72 acres of prime Gwadar land vacated, which was under the possession of Navy and was hampering work on CPEC.

The delay in getting the land vacated slowed down work on Gwadar Free Zone and Gwadar East Bay Expressway – the two projects that were very critical for the full functioning of Gwadar Port, showed official documents.

Pakistan Navy informed the cabinet committee that it had already vacated 500 acres out of 584 acres in 2014 and transferred the land to Gwadar Port Authority as directed by the Prime Minister’s Office.

In 2019, Pakistan Navy voluntarily vacated another 12 acres of land for the passage of Gwadar East Bay Expressway, purely in national interest, according to the Navy.

Regarding the remaining 72 acres, “the Ministry of Defense and Pakistan Navy upon detailed study and analysis have a considered view that the geographical dictates make Shamba Ismail the only central advantageous location for seaward security, response generation”.

Pakistan Navy’s sole purpose for retaining the land with seafront is to ensure timely response for the defence and security of Gwadar Port against the ubiquitous asymmetric threat, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The Ministry of Defence had proposed that 20 acres of land should be left with Pakistan Navy and as an alternative the Gwadar Development Authority may provide 20 acres of land to the Gwadar Port concession holder.

Pakistan Navy has also linked the vacation of another 52 acres of land with the transfer of 20 acres in its name. However, Asad Umar did not agree with the proposal, as the Navy was in violation of the decisions taken by the federal cabinet and the prime minister.

A planning ministry press statement noted that Asad Umar directed the relevant stakeholders to hand over 52 acres of land. The meeting was informed that the authority concerned was interested in keeping 20 acres of land due to security reasons, it added.

The cabinet committee also discussed the realignment of Karakoram Highway from Thakot to Raikot. The Ministry of Communication secretary informed the meeting that Nespak had been engaged to carry out a feasibility study but it was seeking 14 months to complete the task.

The realignment of Karakoram Highway, as a result of the construction of dams (Pattan, Dasu, Diamer-Bhasha), on the Indus River has attained high priority and is thus required to be taken up on priority.

Asad Umar directed the Ministry of Communication, National Highway Authority and relevant stakeholders to meet the deadline so the project could be completed in time. The planning minister has also given a deadline of 30 days to complete the game plan of Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Dhabeji SEZ, Sindh, Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Punjab and Bostan SEZ, Balochistan, while reviewing the progress on provision of utilities for SEZs under CPEC.

The meeting also approved the establishment of CPEC Business and Industrial Cooperation Tower in Islamabad on public-private partnership basis and Capital Development Authority (CDA) will be engaged for land acquisition.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2022.

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