APC reaches consensus on corridor

ISLAMABAD: The political leadership across the divide attained a landmark achievement on Thursday when the gigantic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was endorsed by the All Parties Conference (APC), held under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the PM House.
All major political parties were represented through their leadership including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party (NP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi, JI’s Sirajul Haq, opposition leader Khursheed Shah, PPP leader Sherry Rehman, KP CM Pervaiz Khattak, Balochistan CM Abdul Malik and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman were in attendance. Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Zardari were conspicuous by their absence.
The reservations being expressed by certain political parties till recently were removed by the government and the project, which has been termed a ‘game-changer’ for Pakistan, is now set to sail smoothly. China, the co-sponsor of the project, will heave a sigh of relief as the project involving US$46 billion initially secured political ownership from all the political parties of Pakistan.
It was the second APC in less than two weeks as the previous remained inconclusive on May 13 due to the massacre of member of the Ismaili community in Karachi and the PM had to go there the same day.
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal suggested constituting a working group consisting of representatives from all the provinces to make recommendations regarding the selection of industrial parks and other development works along the corridor route. He said there was no change in the corridor route, adding that it will be completed by the year 2030. He gave a comprehensive briefing on the corridor and said it was not confined to a specific route rather it was a concept that encompassed all the areas of the country. He said most of the power projects under the corridor would be established in Sindh. He said the project would attract more tourists to Gilgit-Baltistan.
Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique also briefed the meeting on the plan of connecting Gwadar to Kashghar through a rail network.Prime Minister Nawaz and the participants agreed to the proposal without any debate.
As the meeting concluded, PM Nawaz Sharif announced that the western route of the economic corridor would get priority and it would be constructed first, for which funds would be released soon. He said under this project, Hassan Abdal, Mianwali, Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob, Quetta, Kalat, Nag, Bisma, Panjgur and Turbat will be connected to Gwadar. He said work would be started immediately on the Mughal Kot-Dera Ismail Khan section.
He assured the parliamentary leaders that all matters regarding the CPEC project will be kept transparent. At the outset, the PM announced that political leaders reserved the right to bring their reservations forward if any and the same would be addressed in the true national spirit. He said unity on the project would send a positive message to China, showing that Pakistan as a nation is committed to the project.
Developments pertaining to the CPEC project would move forward in a transparent manner, he added. Parliamentary leaders of all the political parties extended complete support and practical cooperation to the government for the CPEC project.The PM said a working group had also been set up to address grievances of the provinces. He said the resources would be allocated for the project in the next fiscal year.
Nawaz Sharif, in the beginning of the conference, felicitated Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah for the early arrest of terrorists who had perpetrated the Safoora Goth incident in Karachi. The CM thanked the PM for his sentiments.
The APC was summoned to take the political leadership into confidence over the route of the CPEC. The project will oversee the construction of three alignments from Gwadar to Kashghar as well as the establishment of energy projects and industrial zones all over the country.
Addressing the first session of the APC, PM Nawaz Sharif said the mega project would prove to be a milestone for Pakistan. He said the investment pouring in from China was unprecedented in the history of Pakistan and credit for this goes to all the political parties.