Committee sees no progress in CPEC projects in Balochistan
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ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Friday observed that no progress had been made in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Balochistan since 2017.
The convener of the Special Committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman, said: “Briefing given by the ministry and its various allied departments is insufficient and lacks details on many aspects. The departments are shifting responsibility on one another and there seems to be no institutional collaboration.”
The committee directed the secretary of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Mathar Niaz Rana, to prioritise umbrella projects specified for Balochistan.
Members of the committee were of the view that no tangible progress had been achieved during the last few years and despite recommendations, provision of gas and electricity supply in Bostan town of Balochistan and its development as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) seemed a farce.
Speaking on the Gwadar power plant issue, Ms Rehman said: “Two projects from Balochistan have been discussed. The SEZ and provision of energy to Gwadar. The federal government is misrepresenting the facts on projects on Balochistan, including the SEZs, as well as the power project for Gwadar which has been caught in Nepra tariff since 2017, and has still not cranked up.”
“SEZ at Bostan has received no Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) funding and hence no progress could be achieved. Planning Division’s unprofessional approach towards CPEC and its various umbrella projects with special reference to development of Special Economic Zones in Balochistan and other parts of the country is disappointing. We have decided that the planning minister will address the agenda on Balochistan himself,” Senator Rehman added.
Senator Usman Khan Kakar observed that there is nothing on the ground and it is unfortunate that 132KV grid station in Bostan could not be constructed due to non-availability of required funds.
Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2020
Jamal Shahid is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with over two decades of experience. He covers the Public Accounts Committee and the National Assembly’s Question Hour, as well as diplomatic events, climate change, and human rights issues in the capital.
