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Businessmen want PM-led authority to execute, run CPEC

Only Western Alignment of Corridor can bring marvels to country

By Riaz Khan Daudzai
May 20, 2015
PESHAWAR: Amid fears that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is seemingly being turned into a political issue by political and civil society organizations, the business and investment professionals asked the government to set up an independent authority under the prime minister to implement and run this gigantic economic enterprise.
In background interviews, the economic and investment leaders and professionals were of the view that the country could only benefit if the federal government stuck to the initial “Western Alignment” rather than the present “Eastern Alignment” of the proposed corridor which is 600 kilometres longer than the western route.
They also shared the view that some foreign powers were out to make this vital project controversial and portray its implementation as a matter of life and death for certain parts of the country.
This proposed authority under the prime minster, they opined, should have its own dedicated and independent bureaucracy to implement, manage and run it beyond the influence of any federating unit and the federal government functionaries.
Prof Dr Syed Shafiqur Rehman, who has vast research experience in the CPEC route and Karakorum Highway terrains, referred to a recent interview of former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed wherein he also advocated the establishment of an independent entity to look after the project. “I support the former career diplomat Shamshad Ahmad’s proposal. This is one of the best solutions and a way out to save the project from further politicization,” he opined.
“This is purely an economic issue and should be looked into so,” he said. The government should only take it to the Parliament if the need arises for legislation on the project,” he argued.
Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KPBOIT) Muhammad Ishaq, who is a leading commerce analyst, said none from the business community was against the CPEC, but the political parties in power are deliberately making it a political issue.
Muhammad Ishaq said that according to federal minister Ahsan Iqbal the (changed) route was approved on August 16, 2013. “The question as to what the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has done for keeping the western alignment of the route intact since then,” he asked.“Not a single debate was held on the issue as to what Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would gain from the CPEC. What would be its economic benefit to the province in particular?’’ he wondered.
He also blamed the provincial government for not taking the matter seriously and said it was more interested in the issues being taken up in the Election Tribunals during the period. He said people in the provincial government seemed more concerned about their personal benefits ignoring the dismal economy of the province.
He said China is doing all this for its own benefit. “Apart from political benefits, China by extending loan of merely $46 billion over a span of 15 years will recover it in just a few months in oil freight and sea export cargoes,” the BOIT member said.
Pakistan has the only benefit of jobs that would be created for local labourers in the “China Specific Economic Zones” and Punjab will get most of these benefits, Ishaq maintained.To a question about the benefits for Pakistan and Khyber Pakhunkhwa, Ishaq said Pakistan will approximately get $500 million as transit fee because Gawadar would be exempted from all taxes being a Free Trade Zone.
As put in by president Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI), Fuad Ishaq, the entire country can only benefit if the federal government sticks to the initial Western Alignment passing through Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan rather than the recently changed Eastern Alignment which is 600 kms longer passing across the Punjab province.
He said only Western Alignment of the CPEC can bring Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the mainstream of national economy as 610 kms of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa roads on this route would be connected to the corridor.
New industrial estates and economic zones along the corridor will bring more jobs for militancy-hit province, Fuad Ishaq said. He added that industrialization will help defeat terrorism and provide easy access for Pakistan products to Central Asian and even Eastern Europe.