ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Development and Reforms Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar on Sunday said the government had decided to go ahead with the ML-I mega project which would lead to dualisation and upgradation of the railway track from Peshawar to Karachi.

Speaking at a seminar “Friends of Silk Road” organised by Pakistan-China Institute, the minister said there was national consensus on CPEC and eventually 80 per cent of electricity would be generated by CPEC energy projects.

He also said legal framework of Gwadar Free Trade Zone was ready.

“Pakistan-China Business Council and an apex body, CPEC Authority, are being established to push CPEC forward,” he said.

Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and Pakistan China Institute Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed presided over the seminar.

Ambassador of China Yao Jing said there was no slow down of CPEC as its foundation was solid and direction set in new stage of CPEC. He said in this new stage of CPEC, the Chinese government was working very closely with Pakistan and had identified three key areas to promote CPEC.

These are: special economic zones with focus on Rashakai and preference to the private sector, agriculture and a special agricultural expo to be organised in October in Islamabad and Lahore, with a focus on fisheries. The third area is social sector development where 27 projects in six areas are being fast tracked courtesy the grant of $1 billion by the Chinese government.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said CPEC was a success story because of the strong and unshakeable framework of Pakistan China relations. He said CPEC had given a new hope and confidence to the people of Pakistan and improved the image of Pakistan as an investment friendly destination, revived dead projects like Gwadar port and Thar coal project, strengthened the federation through physical connectivity, given Pakistan strategic space both in regional and world politics and provided employment to 70,000 Pakistanis.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2019