Economic corridor: In missive, Shah voices concern over route change

ISLAMABAD:

The wrangling over the route and execution of the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is not yet over as the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah has written a letter over this issue to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Meanwhile, senators on Friday also staged a walkout for not giving priority to power projects along the CPEC’s western route.

After the announcement of the $46 billion CPEC project in April, many political parties had expressed concern over the proposed route. Later in May, the government and political parties reached consensus in an all parties conference (APC) after the former offered to first construct the western route.

However, in a letter, the opposition leader has pointed out that due to alleged re-routing of the $46 billion CPEC project and preference in some energy related projects, only one province, Punjab, will benefit from the project, while Sindh—where Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is in power, is being ignored.

Shah – who is also central leader of the PPP, the major opposition group – said the way CPEC project is currently being executed raises some reservations among various stakeholders. The opposition leader also noted down that under the CPEC, new power plants were majorly being constructed in Punjab which raises questions about the government’s priorities.

Shah said the project was meant to benefit the whole Pakistan and it was needed to be dealt with in the same way. However, over the time it has been seen that one province is at more advantage with the project than the combined benefit of the rest of the federation, he claimed.

“Please take notice of the situation (re-routing the CPEC) and ensure that the project should be carried out in the same manner as decided during the APC on the… subject.

“To keep the federation intact, government immediately needs to revisit its policy and priorities regarding execution of the CPEC project and this can only be done by taking all the federating units into confidence and ratifying their reservations,” Shah added.

Why Punjab the major beneficiary?

The opposition leader said it was evident from the initiatives taken under the project so far that preference was given to construction of eastern route for the CPEC rather than the short and better western route, which may create resentment in other provinces against Punjab.

“Under Lahore-Karachi motorway initiative, Lahore-Abdul Hakim section of motorway is being constructed on priority basis despite of the fact that this section already has a network of well-developed roads on both sides, ie, NH-5 on left side and M-2 & M-3 on right side,” he said.

Shah said the small provinces, particularly Sindh, was being deliberately ignored despite the fact that it generates 60 per cent of the country’s revenue and holds largest natural gas reservoirs.

Senators stage walkout

Lawmakers on Friday also staged a walkout from the Senate after criticising the government, which according to them, has linked no power project along the western route of the CPEC.

“We have gotten the real answer from the government, it is a clear message that the government has been avoiding this route,” said Senator Usman Khan Kakar during Senate question-hour. The PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar also criticised the government for ‘turning back’ from its commitment made in the APC on May 28.

The opposition and the treasury benches staged another walkout at what they dubbed as unsatisfactory reply to another question about the province-wise breakup of power projects and infrastructure in the CPEC. The question had been raised by BNP-Awami Senator Kalsoom Parveen.

Leader of the House Raja Zafar-ul-Haq assured the opposition members that no change was made in the route of the CPEC and the government was giving preference to the western alignment.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2015.