Ayub urges COAS to address threats to CPEC

ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub has urged the army chief to urgently convene a corps commanders conference to address the concerns raised by the Chinese leadership regarding the security of their citizens working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Pakistan.

Speaking in the National Assembly on a point of order on Saturday, Omar said: “The top Chinese leadership yesterday said that threats to the lives of Chinese experts pose risks to CPEC investments. The Chinese leadership’s expression of such severe security threats is alarming.”

The opposition leader, who belongs to the PTI, was referring to the statement of Liu Jianchao, the Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

While co-chairing a meeting of the Pakistan-China Joint Consultative Mechanism with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday, Liu said: “We need to improve security and the business environment. Security threats are the main hazards disturbing CPEC cooperation.”

Liu was apparently alluding to the March 26 terrorist attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in the Besham area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In this attack, five Chinese engineers working at the Dasu Hydropower Project were killed along with their Pakistani driver.

According to Omar, the statement warrants an urgent convening of the military commanders’ meeting.

“This conference should be held exclusively for the security of Chinese citizens and experts [in Pakistan]. The conference should also look into the reasons for security failures. It must be informed whether the terrorists who attacked Chinese nationals are being pursued or whether [the state agencies] are only busy in pursuing the PTI,” he said.

After the May 9, 2023, incidents of violence sparked by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the premises of a court, military commanders met a number of times to assert the army’s stance on attacks on military installations and memorials.

Omar Ayub claimed that officials of spy agencies were deployed at Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder and former prime minister is currently detained, to monitor people visiting Imran. He said no one could meet the PTI founder without the approval of these officials.

The NA session called to discuss the proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year was marred by a protest by female lawmakers of the ruling alliance against the use of inappropriate language by PTI lawmaker Sana Ullah Khan Mastikhel.

During his speech, Mastikhel directed offensive remarks, including a derogatory term towards Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, alleging that PTI lawmakers reached the assembly through votes but the others took a different route.

Following the outburst, PTI members reacted with laughter and desk thumping, while members from the treasury benches protested vehemently against the use of vulgar language, demanding immediate action against Mastikhel.

Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who was presiding over the session at the time, promptly expunged the offensive remarks from the records and suspended the session briefly.

Subsequently, Speaker Sadiq returned to the floor and initiated proceedings to suspend Mastikhel for violating Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, suspending his membership for the remainder of the budget session.

Expressing regret over the unprecedented use of inappropriate language over the microphone, the NA speaker condemned Mastikhel’s conduct as a serious breach of decorum within the assembly. He said he was short of words to condemn such indecent language by a fellow lawmaker.

Meanwhile, the NA session also witnessed the PPP ending its boycott, significantly increasing its members’ presence in the house. Prominent PPP members such as Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Sharmila Farooqi, Syed Naveed Qamar, Aijaz Jakhrani, Abdul Qadir Patel, and Jamal Raisani attended the session.

During the session, Mirza Ikhtiar Baig commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for providing cheaper electricity to industries but raised concerns about the financial burden. He asserted that it should be clarified whether the government will bear the Rs240 billion subsidy or if it will be passed on to consumers.

In his address, MQM MNA Mustafa Kamal criticized the budget, revealing that Rs9,500 billion would go towards interest payments, consuming 51% of revenue. He stressed that “No country could function if 30% of its income went to interest payments, and here we are allocating 51%.”

Taking a dig at the PTI, Kamal said that the PTI talks about the ideal state of Medina but remains silent on usury. “How can we win a war against Allah and His Messenger?” He lamented that the Federal Shariat Court’s (FSC) decision to abolish interest was not being implemented. “We seem more concerned about pleasing the IMF than adhering to divine directives.”

Kamal also pointed out that the energy sector faces exorbitant capacity charges, stating, “We have to pay 71% in capacity charges. While the PSDP is Rs1,400 billion, capacity charges stand at Rs1,700 billion. We need to renegotiate agreements with IPPs.”

He proposed that Pakistan’s wealthy political leaders contribute to the nation’s debt repayment.

“Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Fazlur Rehman, and Altaf Hussain should all contribute Rs1,000 billion from their personal wealth to reduce Pakistan’s debt. Leaders should lead by example; if they contribute symbolically, the public will be motivated to support debt repayment,” he suggested.