Call for reaping benefits of CPEC

Islamabad

Former Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh said on Monday that the whole nation would have to work hard for putting our house in order and getting benefits from China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) otherwise it could become game changers only for ‘elites’ of this country.

“The CPEC possessed a great opportunity and China really wants to help Pakistan but we will have to work hard in harmonised manner to maximise benefits. If we don’t change our path then nothing will come for benefiting us,” the former Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Engineer Akram Sheikh who also served as federal secretary on different important positions during his prestigious carrier said this while addressing as key note speaker in a seminar arranged by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS) Islamabad here on Monday.

The Chairman CGSS, Lt Gen (R) Zaheerul Islam said on the occasion that the CPEC could provide opportunity and also possessed risks so it was important to convert it into an opportunity. He said that corruption was an issue as this country progressed well and became legend till 60s but afterwards it faced a nosedive which had been still continuing.

He said that he did not want to belittle politicians or anyone but there was less intellectual input in our decision making process. He said that they would continue providing recommendations for informed decision making process. He said that former US President Barak Obama took trans pacific partnership initiative which had fizzled out but China had taken initiative under One Belt One Road (OBOR) to revive Silk Road. He raised some questions on this occasion as what are the feasible plans? Are we facing any risks? Do we face any problem for implementing CPEC and others during his address?

Later on, Dr Akram Sheikh delivered very sentimental speech where he used many examples of the past to prove that Pakistanis would have to put our own house in order in a bid to get maximum benefits from CPEC. “If we put our house in order, China and US investors can undertake joint ventures here in Pakistan,” he added.

First of all, he cited several examples to prove his point that the CPEC was an initiative which had come under discussion during the Musharraf regime from 2005 to 2008. He went on saying that in 2006 the Musharraf government was destabilised with a design in the aftermath of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) case. He said he had informed the former president Musharraf in 2006 that some elements were active to oust him from the power.

He said the development of Gwadar and National Trade Corridor (NTC) had been finalised at that time. He said that when Chinese had agreed to develop Gwadar in 2006 some countries had foiled such attempts. He said that Gwadar should be developed on the lines of commercial port otherwise it would be labeled as strategic port.

Citing example of trade deficit, he said that Pakistan’s exports stood at $21 to $22 billion while Bangladesh’s exports were touching $36 billion. He said that China’s trade with other world stood at $4000 and there was need to get share of 1 to 10 percent. Pakistan’s exports should have been in the range of $200 to $300 billion but we are stuck up at $21 billion.

In his hours’ long speech, he said that lack of good governance, corrupt bureaucracy, politically motivated media, corrupt land mafia and lack of proper rules and procedures are major stumbling blocks in the way for achieving desired results. He said that it was planned move that hydropower projects could not be constructed in Pakistan as on crucial stages the multilateral donors had refused to finance Basha and other such dams.

On more than one occasion, he had even barred the media not to quote him on certain things during his hours’ long speech.