Economic Corridor Project: Route stays a point of contention
Senators of K-P and Balochistan express reservations
ISLAMABAD:
Senators belonging to Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Monday reiterated that they would strongly resist the Economic Corridor Project (ECP) with China if its route is diverted from K-P and Balochistan.
At a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communication, the lawmakers expressed their dismay that smaller provinces are being deprived of the benefit of this project by diverting the route to Sindh and Punjab, rather than passing it through K-P and Balochistan.
“The people in Balochistan already feel a sense of deprivation, and it will further deepen if the route of the ECP does not pass through their main cities to connect Gwadar Port with China,” said Senator Hamayun Mandokhel at the Committee meeting.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha echoed the sentiments of Mandokhel, and said that decisions that further fuel these adverse sentiments should not be taken.
The committee’s chairman, Senator Daud Khan Achakzai, said that economic activities owe to the Gwadar Port, but it seems that the people of Balochistan will not get the benefits.
Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q posed the question as to why the government was signing MoUs in advance with Chinese firms, whereas the correct modus operandi would be that the tender is floated for open competition. He criticized the government, saying that every project is given either to Qatar or China without keeping in view the national interest.
The senators were all of the opinion that previously, the ECP’s route was supposed to pass through DG Khan in K-P to Zhob and then Quetta in Balochistan, but it was diverted and the new proposed routes mostly bypass these two provinces.
According to the working paper, the total length of the corridor route is 2,681 km from Khunjrab to Gwadar. Under the new plan, the route will be Khunjrab-Raikot-Thako-Mansehra-Abbottabad-Havelian-Haripur-Islamabad-Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad-Khanewal-Multan-Sukhur-Shikarpur-Ratodero-Khuzdar and then to Gwadar.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2014.
Senators belonging to Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Monday reiterated that they would strongly resist the Economic Corridor Project (ECP) with China if its route is diverted from K-P and Balochistan.
At a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communication, the lawmakers expressed their dismay that smaller provinces are being deprived of the benefit of this project by diverting the route to Sindh and Punjab, rather than passing it through K-P and Balochistan.
“The people in Balochistan already feel a sense of deprivation, and it will further deepen if the route of the ECP does not pass through their main cities to connect Gwadar Port with China,” said Senator Hamayun Mandokhel at the Committee meeting.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha echoed the sentiments of Mandokhel, and said that decisions that further fuel these adverse sentiments should not be taken.
The committee’s chairman, Senator Daud Khan Achakzai, said that economic activities owe to the Gwadar Port, but it seems that the people of Balochistan will not get the benefits.
Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q posed the question as to why the government was signing MoUs in advance with Chinese firms, whereas the correct modus operandi would be that the tender is floated for open competition. He criticized the government, saying that every project is given either to Qatar or China without keeping in view the national interest.
The senators were all of the opinion that previously, the ECP’s route was supposed to pass through DG Khan in K-P to Zhob and then Quetta in Balochistan, but it was diverted and the new proposed routes mostly bypass these two provinces.
According to the working paper, the total length of the corridor route is 2,681 km from Khunjrab to Gwadar. Under the new plan, the route will be Khunjrab-Raikot-Thako-Mansehra-Abbottabad-Havelian-Haripur-Islamabad-Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad-Khanewal-Multan-Sukhur-Shikarpur-Ratodero-Khuzdar and then to Gwadar.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2014.