New govt will renew commitment to CPEC

Islamabad: A high-level delegation of new government set-up would pay a visit to Beijing next month where it would show to the Chinese government the commitment and dedication of Pakistan towards the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, the sources told The News here on Saturday. 

The sources said former minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal is not likely to get this slot in the upcoming federal cabinet so any other member having vast experience in the development sector would take charge of this ministry.

They said ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) would not divert its attention from ongoing CPEC project due to which upcoming interim prime minister would announce his firm resolve to continue with this project being dubbed as 'game changer' in the region.  

"Senior leadership of the PML-N has vowed that it will continue to make best efforts to execute the CPEC project because it will not only bring improvement in socio-economic conditions of the masses but also help end power loadshedding that is one of the major targets given in the PML-N's election manifesto," the sources said.

The sources said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a series of high level meetings held in last twenty four hours indicated time and again that the CPEC project would move forward in the direction already set by the ruling PML-N. 

They said the PML-N government would inaugurate many major power projects next month including Balloki power project (1,200 MW), Dasu hydropower project (4,320 MW), Port Qasim LNG project (1,320 MW) and Chashma-IV nuclear power plant.

It is pertinent to mention here that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the CPEC project was signed in 2013, but was delayed due to sit-in protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at D-Chowk (Islamabad) so it was properly launched in April 2015.

The sources said the PML-N government would use the CPEC project to make Pakistan a manufacturing economy rather a trading one for sustained economic growth after completion of the early harvest energy projects that would add 10,000 MW of electricity to the national grid till April 2018.