KP cabinet approves Rashakai Economic Zone launching

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday approved the launching of the Rashakai Economic Zone, besides okaying the finance bill.

Up to 25 percent share to Karak, Kohat and Hangu districts in the oil and gas royalty was approved as well. The Members National Assembly (MNAs) from the districts concerned were included in the royalty fund.

Rashakai Economic Zone near the Rashakai Interchange on the Motorway will be executed through a joint venture of the China Road and Bridge Company (CRBC) and the provincial government, Information Minister Shaukat Yusufzai said this while briefing the media on the lawn of the provincial assembly.

He said the project would bring $128 million investment and was the first economic zone in the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“The project will create 200,000 jobs including 50,000 direct and 150,000 affiliated ones, 80 percent of which would be from KP,” he added.

The minister said 1000 acres of land had been acquired for the economic zone wherein 702 acres would be for industrial units and the remaining for the residential accommodation and other required facilities.

The Chinese company would fund the project and the provincial government would be the owner of the land, he maintained.

To a question about the removal of secretary transport Kamran Rehman and Director General, Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), Israrul Haq, who was project director of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), he said they were punished for misleading the government and public about the project.

Denying the reports of Rs7 billion corruption in the BRT, he said legal notices would be sent to those carrying the news.

He repeated the claim that the BRT was the most transparent project and nobody can prove a single penny corruption in it.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told that crimes rate had been reduced in the province as last year 141 cases of kidnapping were reported that were reduced to 110 this year. It was informed that murder incidents reduced as well.

Winding up the debate on the law and order situation, Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan appreciated the overall performance and sacrifices of police force rendered during the militancy. However, he expressed concern over shortcomings in the prosecution and said the last year 16 percent accused got release and 84 percent acquitted from courts. In cases related to terrorism, only 12 percent were punished last year and 88 percent were acquitted.

Assuring the lawmakers of ensuring their privilege the minister warned that strict action would be taken against police officers found misbehaving with the elected public representative.

Earlier, Inayatullah Khan of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Awami National Party’s Shagufta Malik, Shakil Bashir Umerzai and Bahadur Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Humera Khatoon, Pakistan People’s Party Sahibzada Sanaullah and Nighat Orakzai spoke on the law and order situation.

The lawmakers expressed concern over the rise in the crime rate. Though they appreciated the overall performance of police and their sacrifices in the war on terror, yet complained of the police officer behaviour with lawmakers was uncooperative.

They said the 2017 Police Act had depoliticized the force and increased powers of the force but there was no check on its institutional accountability. The legislator called for enhancing facilities to the police force but at the same time demanded implementation on check and balance system in the department.