Thar project back on track as Chinese return

KARACHI: Work on Shanghai Electric’s Thar Coal Block-1 Project, a priority implementation project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is expected to speed up following the arrival of a batch of 500 Chinese engineers and managers, a statement said on Thursday.

It said the Chinese personnel arrived on a special chartered flight that took off from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport on Tuesday noon and arrived in the night at Karachi’s Jinnah Terminal. The engineers and managers were given a warm farewell by Executive management of Shanghai Electric, Chen Ganjin, and Liu Guoping before their departure for Karachi. On their arrival here they were received by company officials at the Jinnah Terminal.

The return of Chinese engineers and managers to Pakistan, which had been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to provide a boost to the Thar Coal Block-1 Project.

Mr Li Jigen, CEO, Sino Sindh Resources (Private)Limited, an overseas subsidiary of Shanghai Electric, said, “It is a major development for the company and the return of technical and managerial staff will pave the path for construction and production work at the Thar Coal Block-1 Project”.

“Because of the COVID-19 situation, international travel has become really difficult. But it is great that a special chartered flight was arranged successfully to bring 500 of our colleagues to Pakistan.”

Jigen thanked the authorities both in China and Pakistan for facilitating the chartered flight.

“The efficient transportation for moving Chinese workers to Pakistan could not have been possible without the kind support and assistance from Shanghai Municipal Government, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, the Consulate General in Karachi, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Air China, the Prime Minister's Office of Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other government departments,” he said.

He said that the newly-arrived workers will adhere to all COVID-19 requirements before joining their duties at the integrated power project in Thar Block-1.