ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects were the future of Pakistan and delays in completion of different projects relating to the corridor would not be tolerated. The government decided to update benchmarks of the CPEC for the completion of projects, which would be monitored on monthly and weekly basis while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will examine it every week. The exercise is being carried out to eliminate any element of delay in the completion of the projects under the CPEC. The decision was taken in a high echelon review meeting of the projects that was held at the PM House on Friday and was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Secretary to PM Haji Javaid Aslam, Additional Secretary to PM Fawad Hasan Fawad, JS to PM Kamran Afzal, PSO to PM Dr Nabeel Awan, MS to PM Brigadier Akmal Aziz and JS Abdul Samad Wani. The prime minister announced that he would personally review the pace and progress of the projects through the core team and directed the authorities concerned to update the project benchmarks on monthly as well as quarterly basis that would be monitored by the prime minister on weekly basis. According to the PM House, the prime minister was briefed by Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar on the status of the CPEC projects, a part of the CPEC Project Monitoring Arrangements. The meeting expressed satisfaction at the pace of work done on the corridor so far. The prime minister reviewed all the projects under the umbrella of CPEC, including infrastructure and energy projects. Lauding the Pak-China all-weather friendship, the prime minister said, “China is Pakistan’s trusted friend. CPEC is the future of Pakistan and its timely completion is the top priority of the government.” He said that he would personally review the pace and progress of the projects through the core team and directed the authorities concerned to introduce a system for monitoring of the projects. The prime minister said that the projects would lead to generation of employment opportunities across the country and would lead to enhancement in trade and poverty reduction. He was briefed on the completion dates of projects under the CPEC. The bulk of $46 billion investment consists of investment by the private sector. He said that he would personally go for ground breaking ceremony of the Western Corridor of the project soon. He said officers and officials who would not deliver in terms of timely completion of the project would have to quit the team. He said that early completion of the CPEC project was the top priority of the government since the CPEC was the future of Pakistan and any negligence in its execution would not be tolerated. Emphasising on the need to speed up work on the project, the prime minister said that the whole nation was anxiously waiting for its early completion. He said the CPEC would not only lead to employment opportunities across the country but would also help in enhancing trade and business. Another review meeting will take place next week, the sources added.
