ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Monday informed the National Assembly that all reservations of the political leadership on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be addressed.
In a policy statement, he said that the CPEC is a national project and all the provinces would reap its benefits.
“The federal government cannot think of discrimination against any province,” he said.
He said that suggestions to make the project more viable would be welcomed.
The minister said that federal government would fulfill all the commitments made at All Parties Conference (APC) in May 2015, and would build Western route, passing through backward areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on priority basis.
He said that the federal government firmly believes that CPEC has given Pakistan historic opportunity to develop backward areas socially and economically.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was a great gift for Pakistan’s rapid progress and hoped the project would be a game-changer, he added.
The minister said that out of total 46 billion dollars, 38 billion dollars would be invested in power sector through private investors and private sector would have to get return on its investment.
The remaining six billion dollars would be a concessional financing from Chinese government for the projects of infrastructure.
The minister said being a time-tested friend, China had taken a decision of huge investment in Pakistan at a time when the local investors were hesitating to invest in the country.
The minister said the CPEC had changed the world’s perception regarding Pakistan. He advised the political leadership to avoid comments on the CPEC project in public as opponents would take benefit from it.
He said that reservations if any should be raised in the committee constituted on the CPEC project.
He said that the CPEC project will make Pakistan’s economy impregnable. He urged the national leadership to support the project.
The minister said that the CPEC project is not only beneficial for Pakistan but for the whole region. He said that he would visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on January 6 to remove the reservations of the provincial leadership.
He regretted that an NGO in its presentation indicated that Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan metro bus and Orange Railway projects are being constructed under CPEC project. He said, “this is totally baseless and had no reality”.
Source: APP
