Govt to execute original CPEC master plan

ISLAMABAD: The government would not go back on its words and the western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be executed first in line with the original master plan of the multi-billion project.

In an informal chat with this correspondent, a senior official of the Planning Commission who requested anonymity said  the baseless propaganda is being made on the basis of the fake maps that were intentionally shared on the social media by some ‘elements’ to cast doubts over the project that is considered ‘game changer’ in the region. 

“It is a fact that the government wasted much time in the release of the official map of the CPEC project due to which some elements found opportunity to share fake maps on the social media that resulted in confusion and controversy among the stakeholders”, he said. He revealed that a senator belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) was shown the original map of the CPEC project during an unofficial briefing at the Planning Commission last year but this party is still joining hands with those who are creating controversies over the project.  

The official said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the construction work on a missing section of a road leading from Quetta to Gwadar, but it was mistakenly portrayed for changing the western route of the project.  

“The government has now released the original map of the project but unfortunately some opposition parties never bother to ascertain the truth and instead are jumping on the propaganda bandwagon to serve their political interests,” he said.  To a question, he confirmed that the interim arrangement was made on the request of the Chinese government by using existing infrastructure for “short term” as to make the corridor and port functional.  

He said: “Contrary to rumours being spread by some quarters Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Besima, Kalat, Mastung, Quetta, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, DI Khan, Bannu, Kohat and Peshawar are very much part of the route of the CPEC project.” 

He said the already available infrastructure, security and population is the reason behind the interim arrangement but it does not mean that any change has been made in the route of the project.

The official said the prime minister during the All Parties Conference (APC) held on May 28 last year himself named the cities and towns through which the western route would pass so how can the government now make any change in it.   

The official said it is totally wrong to say that the government has abandoned the plan to build industrial parks and economic processing zones on the western route, saying “Everything that was made part of the original plan will be carried out and no one should have any doubt about it.”

He pointed out that one of the reasons due to which the political parties having strongholds in the smaller provinces are creating doubts about the CPEC project is that out of the total agreements worth 27.7 billion dollar, Punjab gets the lion share of 11 billion dollar.