CM undoes skepticism on energy projects

Flying in the CM’s (or CM-provided) compact, comfortable jet plane to different ‘energizing’ destinations has helped induce lot of energy in me and some other media seniors whose skepticism was addressed quite candidly the other day by Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif during the same visit in which we got an opportunity to physically- and probably intelligently- inspect the power producing plants based on solar, coal and RLNG sources (in Bahawalpur, Sahiwal and Bhiki, respectively).

It was indeed quite an energizing experience for the media-persons as well as Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) Vice Administrator Li Fanrong to learn that the projects are being completed months ahead of the fixed timeline. It owes to Punjab speed or Shahbaz speed, according to Chinese friends who said it was all quite amazing to see the projects entering the final phases with such an exceptional speed.

In my view, the CM took the pains only to alleviate the skepticism that had been spread some time back by some of us media-persons ultimately leading to unwanted despair among the masses. But now the ground realities stand changed. What was once a plain ground has now a multi-storeyed cooling tower and chimney plus other related platforms on the same ground. At the outset, people especially the media-persons had been thinking that the tall claims made by the CM won’t materialize, given the magnitude and scale of the project. Normally, such projects such as that of Sahiwal take close to three years in completion but the one being built in Sahiwal would take at the most 27 months. It is of course a demonstration of Shahbaz speed as much as it is a demonstration of Taiji passion (after the name of the Chinese friend in charge of the project namely Mr Taiji).

These Chinese friends are no less amazing in speed, passion and devotion. I’m delighted having interacted at times with these graceful people that include Ambassador of China, Mr Sun Weidong, and Chinese Consul-General, Lahore, Mr Yu Boren.

I also got two opportunities to visit different cities of China, once during the incumbency of Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani when he went to China to attend Boao Conference as Prime Minister of Pakistan. The second occasion was a visit by five Pakistani journalists along with three journalists from Afghanistan on the invitation of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The warmth and hospitality that was displayed during both visits was unprecedented. At the wooden Le Meridian Hotel on the sea shore (it was known as Hawaii of China), we were welcomed by Chinese hosts among whom elegant ladies played different welcoming tunes through small pipes. Almost the same kind of hospitality we experienced at Bhiki but it was purely a Pakistani version of hospitality that included horses’ dances and showering of flower petals (not only they were showered on Chinese delegation but also separately on the visiting journalists).

The hospitality standing apart, what was more pleasurable to note was that a stop watch like big device/ screen had been fixed on the wall to give a countdown about the completion of the project: how many seconds, minutes and hours gone out of the fixed deadline and how many left.

All these projects fall under the head of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) which is a remarkable example of Chinese vision. In order to understand their vision, the idea of CPEC suffices to explain this phenomenon. This Economic Corridor is indeed the major product of the Chinese vision whose fulfillment is now rapidly turning into a reality. A good few Chinese engineers and officials say the ones who have made this Chinese dream come true are none other than Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Mian Shahbaz Sharif. And the one who has secured this path of fulfillment is none other than COAS General Raheel Sharif.

Now the question arises whether this is merely a Chinese dream? Indeed not! It is more of a Pakistani dream given the fact that a huge amount of 34 plus billion dollars are being injected in the energy sector under the banner of CPEC, the remaining about 12 billion dollars having been earmarked for other national development and infrastructure schemes of national and international connectivity and mutual trade.

In all, I’ve started feeling energetic, energetic with the thought of glut of energy that is very much in the pipeline. mianrehman1@gmail.com