Islamabad: The Senate Special Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) yesterday showed grave concern over the alleged irregularities in the award of contract for the Karachi-Lahore Motorway and asked the government to submit the report in the next meeting.
The committee meeting was chaired by its convener and PPP senator Taj Haider. The meeting also decided to ask for the complete record of CPEC projects from the concerned departments. The meeting of the Senate Special Committee on CPEC while taking notice of the alleged irregularities in the tendering process of Karachi-Lahore Motorway has termed it alarming and asked the government to submit the report in the next meeting.
The National Highway Authority has reportedly committed irregularities in the award of contract, worth Rs148 billion, to a firm for building a 230-kilometre section of the Karachi-Lahore Motorway. The project is a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The committee also invited two economists, Saeed Alam and Dr Qaiser Bengali, for briefing on the CPEC projects. Economist Saeed Alam while briefing the committee said that electricity transmission line of KP and Balochistan cannot afford to take the load of electricity to be generated from the power plants under CPEC. He said that a big chunk of Rs 300 billion is being spent on the development of transmission line from Lahore to Faisalabad. He said that instead of western routes, all the focus is on Lahore route. He said that the government needs to invest in the transmission line of KP and Balochistan as they are too weak to afford extra load of electricity to be generated from the power plants under CPEC.
Taj Haider said that the convening of All Parties Conference by the Prime Minister was a positive step which has helped removing the ambiguity to great extent. There are some reservations over various issues and the committee has written a letter to the Prime Minister, in this regard, on August 13 last year. Only prime Minister, can resolve those issues, he said. The special committee will now discuss the execution of the Prime Minister’s announcement and the matters related to power generation, railway, industrial zones and fibre optics and how the committee will monitor these projects, Taj Haider said.
The people have reservations over the demographic changes that may be caused by CPEC, he said adding that to remove the ambiguity people should know what is on the map, what plans are included in the original plan and what is budget allocation for different CPEC projects.
The secretary planning said that CPEC is the name of big project which has various parts which will be completed in phases. Regarding western route the prime minister has issued clear instructions that it should be completed by July 2018. No decision has yet been made about the industrial zones, it will be set up in consultation with the provincial governments, he said. A committee representing provinces has been constituted for consultation in this regard, the secretary informed. The convener of the committee has asked secretary planning to furnish the map of western route, details of projects, time frame of its completion and allocated funds.
Senator Usman Saifullah said that motorway goes from Hassan Abdal to Peshawar while from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan there is N-55. It will be better that instead of acquiring land or making new roads, incorporate the existing roads in CPEC, he said. It will save money and time. “The new route from Hassan Abdal to DI Khan, under CPEC, will completely bypass KP and I have serious reservations over the decision as it is total injustice to my province,” Senator Usman said. Unsatisfied with secretary planning’s response Senator Usman said that “he consider us kids.”
Economist Qaiser Bengali while briefing the committee said that just like Mangla and Tarbela Dams helped in bringing improvement in the country’s economy, the CPEC will also change the county’s destiny. The CPEC can be beneficial with less routes, more link roads and by covering more industrial and agricultures areas, Bengali said. He said that Gwadar port will not only be used by China but will also be used by all the other countries doing business with China.
Bengali also suggested that the government needs to give clear definition of CPEC and said all the project should not be considered as a part of CPEC. The CPEC is the project which exists on the corridor belt, he added. He said that if government is taking loans for building CPEC then it will have to pay the interest.
“Will the 24-wheele trucks plying on CPEC roads be able to take the load?” he questioned. Daily 3,000 to 6,000 vehicles will commute from Kashghar to Gwadar, he added. Bengali also questioned who will keep the revenue generated from the port and how much benefits the provinces will gain from CPEC.
He proposed that railway should be used privately for Pak-China transit trade and asked planning for the protection from environmental pollution. Bengali said if the government has conducted feasibility study of CPEC, it should make it public. He said that instead of rectifying their mistakes, the government is blaming others.
There were exchange of hot words between Qaiser Bengali and Chairman NHA. “Your presentation is based on theories,” said the chairman NHA to Qaiser Bengali. The chairman NHA said that multi-parallel tracks have been identified under CPEC and there is no rejection of western route. Regarding the route from Hassan Abdal to DI Khan, which bypasses KP, the chairman NHA said that the decision in this regard was made in APC.
Senator Mir Kabeer said that it is injustice to ignore Peshawar and FATA in the western route. He demanded that people from Balochistan should be provided the promised jobs in Gwadar and CPEC.
The secretary planning said that Prime Minister has removed confusion over the western route. The provincial government should provide their plans to the federal government, he said.
Senator Daud Achakzai said that only the constitution of committees are not enough to resolve the problems, the government also needs to inform which route has been inaugurated and how much work has been done on the eastern route.