INTERIOR Minister Ahsan Iqbal in a recent TV interview stated that no extra concessions have been given to the Chinese in Gwadar.

He was of the view that same concessions were given earlier to Singapore but they did nothing. This is incorrect. I will present some facts and would want the minister to respond.

Gwadar port has been handed over to the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), which is a Hong Kong-based company. They have been given three projects in Gwadar, namely Gawadar Port, Gawadar Marine Services and Industrial Free Zone.

No doubt COPHS is developing Gwadar rapidly and this must be appreciated. But this company has been given complete income tax, custom duties and sales tax exemptions in Finance Act 2016-17 for a period of 23 and 40 years. Was the same facility given to Singapore? Can the minister clarify?

The minister has also stated that the Chinese have never been imperialistic like the UK, France, Portagal. Can he tell us what have the Chinese done in Sri Lanka by taking their strategic port in Hambantota on 99 years lease at $1.2 billion after Sri Lanka failed to pay the Chinese debt?

Can he tell us is there any safety valve for Pakistan if we fail to pay on time the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s loans?

More recently, Pakistan for the first time in the history does not have a local managing director for the Pakistan Stock Exchange, for the Chinese have appointed a foreigner to govern the PSX.

I am not against CPEC or the interior minister’s efforts for keeping the project going but he should also take the nation in confidence.

I look forward to the minister’s clarification on this national interest issue.

Zafar Hasan Khan

Director, Pak-China Business

Council in FPCCI

Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017