MPs’ bodies to be briefed on Kartarpur Corridor, to holdin-camera sessions on CPEC

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel will be briefed on Nov 26 on Kartarpur Corridor in the context of Pakistan’s policy and approach towards India’s Modi regime. The corridor was inaugurated amid a lot of fanfare on Nov 9. The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs is taking it up for the first time.

Parliamentary record shows that the panel has also sought a briefing on the mediation efforts by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Iran-Saudi Arabia. It wants to know the response of the two countries and the results of the efforts made by the premier.

Imran has paid visits to Saudi Arabia and Iran for the purpose and announced that progress was made to reduce the hostilities between the two states. Currently, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has also gone to Tehran to discuss different issues. The committee will get an update on the situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir after its annexation by India in August with a particular reference to government’s future strategy on supporting the Kashmir cause and specific steps planned in this connection.

Meanwhile, two-day in-camera meetings of Parliamentary Committee on CPEC will be held on Nov 20-21 to get a briefing on CPEC including the implementation status of its previous recommendations. The BOl secretary will brief the forum on provision of gas plan to the early harvest three special economic zones under the CPEC umbrella.

The Finance Secretary will inform the committee about the Chinese grants and loans with project-wise terms and conditions as well as issues pertaining to release of funds for road infrastructure projects under the auspice of CPEC. The Planning, Development and Reform Secretary will talk about the current status of CPEC Authority Ordinance, promulgated by the President before his recent visit to China, its proposed organogram and rules.

The Senate Standing Committee on Communications meeting on Nov 27 will be briefed on delayed metro bus project between the New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) and Peshawar Morr, which was extension of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi project.

The development work was stopped after the previous regime went out completing its tenure. As the new present government took no interest in executing the unfinished work, there has been no progress whatsoever. The project is stuck up despite the fact that billions of rupees have already been spent and a lot of work has been done. No government department like the CDA and National Highway Authority is ready to own the project, which was to conclude in just a few months during the tenure of the earlier government.