Western route: K-P hands Centre wishlist of CPEC projects

[Muhammad Omar]

ISLAMABAD:

The disgruntled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has sought 6,000 megawatt power projects and representation on the working groups of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

In a meeting with Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal in Islamabad on Monday, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak unveiled what he wants for his province in the multibillion-dollar project.

K-P has been pushing the government to complete CPEC’s western route first. Its efforts paid off when at an all-party conference on January 15, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif set the July 2018 deadline for the completion of the western alignment.

A list of 12 economic zones in the province was also scrapped with the final number to be determined after due consultation with Peshawar.

According to an official handout, the Khattak-Iqbal meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. During the meeting, Iqbal clarified Khattak’s misgivings about CPEC and assured the latter that the Western route was very much part of the monographic study of CPEC.

He revealed that the Gwadar-Surab section will be completed by December 2016, while groundbreaking of the Dera Ismail Khan section – scheduled to be completed by July 2018 — would be held in March.

“Western route is very much part of the CPEC framework and this has also been clarified by Embassy of China in Pakistan,” said Iqbal.

Officials who attended the meeting said Khattak has demanded that the federal government either set up power plants that generate between 5,000MW to 6,000MW or provide the provincial administration funds for it.

On this, the planning minister asked the chief minister to share details to justify this demand.

Around two-dozen medium to long-term energy related projects with a generation capacity of 17,000MW and worth $34 billion constitute a major part of the project.

Khattak also asked the federal government to complete the much-delayed Chashma Right Bank Canal project which would help provide irrigation water to the arid southern districts of K-P. Iqbal promised to arrange a meeting between the Water and Power Development Authority and the provincial administration.

Complaining that Punjab dominates all the energy-related activities planned under CPEC, K-P sought representation on various working groups of the multibillion-dollar project.

At the moment, only Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is invited to meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Energy. Iqbal assured the K-P chief minister that all provinces would be given due representation in the working groups.

Khattak demanded that five special economic zones be set up along M-1 Motorway, in Batagram, Haripur, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan. To this, Iqbal asked the K-P government to come up with specific proposals for the zones as he urged them to hire well-reputed consultant to identify commercially viable sites in the province.

He also pushed Khattak on ensuring speedy land acquisition for sections of western route which pass through the province. Khattak also demanded that optical fibre and rail links also pass through his province.

 

[That Guy]

These issues will pop up, the important thing is that everyone is committed to the project.

 

[Pakistanisage]

I think Nawaz Sharif needs to pull his head out of his own rear end. CPEC Project should be used to leverage development in two of our least developed provinces of Balochistan and KPK. It is imperative that the CPEC project should use the Western Route for the Corridor to bring much needed Progress to these two backward Provinces of Pakistan.

I think Nawaz Sharif needs to pull his head out of his own rear end. CPEC Project should be used to leverage development in two of our least developed provinces of Balochistan and KPK. It is imperative that the CPEC project should use the Western Route for the Corridor to bring much needed Progress to these two backward Provinces of Pakistan.

 

[Pandora]

How can 6000-7000 MW can be generated in KPK when they are not even willing to construct Kala Bagh Dam. I think khatak is becoming an embarassment to PTI and CPEC matters should be dealt by IK directly. Khatak is ruining the image of PTI just to consolidate his own position in KPK

 

[That Guy]

How can 6000-7000 MW can be generated in KPK when they are not even willing to construct Kala Bagh Dam. I think khatak is becoming an embarassment to PTI and CPEC matters should be dealt by IK directly. Khatak is ruining the image of PTI just to consolidate his own position in KPK

It's possible, but impractical, especially considering the timeline that is being looked at. It's also extremely expensive. Pakistan will barely be able to pay for the 10,000MW that is currently under construction, and only with heavily Chinese loans and investments; That's all nationwide as well, not located in one province.

PTI is a good party, but some of their demands, and leaders need to be dropped.

 

[Pandora]

It's possible, but impractical, especially considering the timeline that is being looked at. It's also extremely expensive. Pakistan will barely be able to pay for the 10,000MW that is currently under construction, and only with heavily Chinese loans and investments; That's all nationwide as well, not located in one province.

PTI is a good party, but some of their demands, and leaders need to be dropped.

Khatak needs to be on top of the drop out list and an educated or atleast sensible person needs to be KPK CM. KPK government is making a fool out of themselves when they have a genuine opportunity to get some development done.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

CM KP Mr. Pervez Khattak along with KP leaders visited Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform to discuss CPEC and KP projects. It was clarified to him by Mr. Ahsan Iqbal that Western Route is included in CPEC documents and will be completed as agreed in the meeting with the Prime Minister.

CM KP was assured that industrial zone sites will be finalised on recommendations of the provinces.

CM KP promised to indicate proposed sites within 3 days.

Release of funds for KP development projects was found to be on schedule.

 

[Cornered Tiger]

they are not even willing to construct Kala Bagh Dam

We should not be Biased. Have you ever read their reservations? If their reservations are genuine, We should have to accomodate the Kala Bagh Dam project accordingly.

 

[spinghar]

Chinese Communist Party told their delegation that Pakistan government had conveyed its reservations about law and order on the western route and proposed to China to opt for the eastern route.
Centre accused of ‘misleading’ China about CPEC western route - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

 

[Zaneesh852]

It's possible, but impractical,

Thats a new thing for me! something like "not really but basically"

We should not be Biased. Have you ever read their reservations? If their reservations are genuine, We should have to accomodate the Kala Bagh Dam project accordingly.

What are basically their reservations? The inside is that both KPK and Sindh are fighting for the power house to fall in their province, which would enable them to claim the royalty. Since the original plan outlines the powerhouse in Punjab's territory, the Kalabagh Dam is a shajar-e-mamnuah. If Punjab shares the royalty with Sindh by geographically sharing the generation station's location, KPK has issues, and if KPK is being allowed, Sindh objects to that. The politics of ethnicity is deep routed in KPK and Interior Sindh and KBD has been the dead hourse over which the Pukhtoon Nationalists and Sindhi nationalists have long been exploiting. Isn't it ironic that Punjab's gas based powerplants and industries are dead during the winters while Gas is available in Sindh and KPK for CNG stations during the same period.

 

[That Guy]

Thats a new thing for me! something like "not really but basically" .

It's possible to level a small mountain with hand tools, just so you can get to the other side, but impractical. It would take decades, so you're better off rebting heavy machinery. It'll save you time and money, in the long run.