Pakistan

China-Pakistan corridor: Nawaz to break ground of western route ‘soon’

Prime Minister to personally monitor project’s progress

Our Correspondent October 31, 2015

Premier Nawaz chairs the meeting on CPEC monitoring arrangements at PM House. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD:

Following months of criticism over the government’s preference for the eastern route for the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday asserted he will personally kick off work on the neglected western route ‘soon’.

The announcement comes nearly 10 days after the National Highway Authority (NHA) told a Senate panel that the government had allocated less than a fifth of funds for the western route than it had for the eastern route.

Work on CPEC progressing fast: PM Nawaz

Reviewing progress on projects under the CPEC umbrella at the PM House on Friday, Nawaz was briefed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on the estimated dates for completion of the projects.

Terming CPEC as the future of Pakistan, Nawaz said that he would personally monitor the pace and progress of the projects through the core team on a weekly basis. In this regard, he directed the concerned authorities to update the project benchmarks on monthly and quarterly basis.

According to a PM House, the premier said that he would personally perform the ground breaking ceremony for the western route “soon”.

Eastern CPEC route unfeasible: report

Emphasising on the need to complete the project on time, he said that delays will not be tolerated and officials found to be slacking will cease to be part of the team.

The $46 billion project was signed with China earlier this year. However, the exact roadmap for executing the project has divided the country from end to end. Parliamentarians from Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have criticised the government for having a tilt towards the eastern route of the $46-billion CPEC, voicing their rage from time to time over leaving behind the smaller provinces.

The NHA confirmed those fears when it told the Senate Standing Committee on Communication that the government has allocated a mere Rs20 billion for the western route, which starts from Gwadar and goes to Kashgar in China via Balochistan, K-P and Punjab. In contrast, the Rs110 billion eastern route travels along the Balochistan coast to Sindh before turning north and traveling through Punjab and then on to Khunjerab.

Development controversy: Balochistan backtracks on CPEC route stance

On Tuesday, a parliamentary oversight committee for the project suggested that the government consider converting the western route as a dual carriageway from the outset, with a motorway to eventually link Gwadar with the rest of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2015.

COMMENTS (11)

Reality Check | 9 years ago | Reply You really are a fool.. before the so called punjabi govt came there was no CPEC either... The eastern route has been under planning for a long time since before Musharraf. It was supposed to start from Gawadar pass thru dg khan or rato dero(2Routes) connect to Multan and then onwards to isb and China border. So the punjabi govt can initiate CPEC but cannot decide the route.. ahahah delusional anyone!! Btw when you are elected to power you can do as you please till then you have no authority on decisions that affect National Security so crawl back in that hole no one cares.

Shah | 9 years ago | Reply As revealed by NHA spokesperson, in senate, that for Western Route, that is the natural route and proposed from the beggning, 20bn are allocated.Whereas for eastern route 110bn are allocate, that route was not existing before, and emerged after Punjabi Government came in to power. this shows the non-seriousness of the Government. Please dont follow and support blindly.

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Reality Check | 9 years ago | Reply The route is not passing through lahore and since you keep mentioning that it means you have no idea as to what the route will be. from isb it'll go to fsb and then onwards to multan and the under construction motorway and it is most beneficial to our industries to increase our growth. Gawadar was sold by the baloch to the sultanate of Oman the federal govt under Bhutto paid for it so therefor it belongs to the federal govt and should be declared as such. If you had read what I had written you would have seen I suggested multiple routes, and i fully support building the western route as well we need that to connect to CARs and Afghanistan and also provide access to Chabahar port and Iran. Regional interconectivity is the key to our future and all parts must be connected. The eastern route would also go thru sparsely populated balochistan province.

Hari Om | 9 years ago | Reply India must give 200% diplomatic and moral support to Baloch and Pathan to protect them from sly plot of Punjabi dominated Deep state of Pakistan who think nothing of snatching away prospect of economic development from these bypassed provinces. Azaadi for Pashtunistan and Balochistan must be assured.

Shah | 9 years ago | Reply ^^ IF you are saying no route is passing through lahore then you need to update your self, the name of eastern route is the one that will go through Lahore and thats the longest route, secondly that province names as " Balochistan" that you are calling sparsely populated provinces. You need to know 1) It is need of time to develop this sparsely populated province, same as China is trying to develop its sparsely populated province Kashghar because it also have some separatist movement, so that the population are equally divided through out country and every part of pakistan is as developed as Lahore or some areas of punjab !! 2) Secondly this is Right of people of Balochistan because Gawadar is a part of that province, so the people living in that province should get some benefits, from where the route is passed and economic corridors are developed, that will create some employments . 3) one of the main purpose of this corridor is to shorten the distance, which is the key factor for china to develope the route and for its success, so you cant ignore that reason, and surely that main corridor that was supposed to be passed through shortest and natural route(western) that is through Balochistan will be connected through web of roads through every part of country, but now a single road is being made in balochistan to make the people fool, like they are being doing with the people of Balochistan !!

Reality Check | 9 years ago | Reply Ok first of no road is being made through lahore so lets get that propaganda out of the way. Firstly lets try to understand the purpose of CPEC for Pakistan and its economy. It means access for our industry to a deep sea port and to china, CPEC isnt just for china to move its goods through Pakistan the more important aspect of the CPEC would be the Pakistani industries across the length and breadth of Pakistan be connected to this and to have access to it so that they can benefit through this would be life saving infrastructure. In my opinion there should definitely be more than two routes and have industries and economic zones on all those routes. Motorways need to be there as well down the line. I just hope one day Pakistani get less selfish and think of the bigger picture. Having only one western route running through a sparsely populated province isnt going to help them and neither is it going to help us achieve higher growth.

Shah | 9 years ago | Reply Educated and smart people don't advocate to plunder the right of small province by cajoling and deluding the masses of small provinces, they should generate and utilize their own resources instead!! Give us a break please, we are tired of such educated people who cant survive without plundering the right of small provinces. Its enough now !!

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply @shafi: Punjab is more populous and educated and smart people. Also Punjab is closer to India's border who can cut this connection in event of war. About Punjabees being educated and smart I cannot comment as your comment speaks for itself. The Western route is safe and will open new areas in Baluchistan and KPK for further development, which will improve national unity.

shafi | 9 years ago | Reply eastern route deserve to be built earlier and much stronger, as punjab is more populous and educated and smart people,

Waqas | 9 years ago | Reply With this CPEC investment it was a right time to bring the resented separatist baloch on the table and take them into the consideration, as they have the first right to their province resources, develop the undeveloped balochistan which had being neglected since creation of pakistan.. But these punjabi bureaucrats and establishment is only concerned about roshan punjab. Take away everthing from other provinces to punjab.

Shah | 9 years ago | Reply once again a very misleading statement, criticism is not on slow work on western route, but the criticism is that Western route which was finalized route and naturally shortest route with the purpose to develop the underdeveloped province, is shifted to punjab province, yet they are developing a single road on Western route which is never called economic corridor, without any economic zones or any projects like power projects or any infrastructure, yet the 4 way road is going to be constructed through lahore.Please MR NS Dont weaken the federation of Pakistan, to benefit your constituency !! Dont press the people against wall !!

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