Chinese embassy releases province-wise share under CPEC project

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chief of Mission Chinese Embassy Zhao Lijian Wednesday explained the share of four provinces in the $51.5 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Zhao response came in response to criticism in the local press and on social media about the Western route of CPEC and alleged absence of CPEC benefits to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. And that with P in CPEC for Punjab, this is more of a China-Punjab Economic Corridor.

There have been planned protests by Awami National Party (ANP) against ‘change of Western route of CPEC and deprivation of Pakhtoon and Baloch interests.’

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong said reports that he had told KPK Chief Minister Pervez Khattak the Western route was not included in CPEC were “untrue.”

Giving the break-up of CPEC project, Zhao wrote in a series of tweets pasted at Wali Zahid’s blog that the number of projects included: Balochistan 16, KPK 8, Sindh 13 and Punjab 12.

Zhao said at least 16 projects under CPEC are related to Balochistan. These include: Khuzdar-Basima Highway (N-30), D.I.Khan-Quetta Highway (N-50), Hubco Coal Power Plant, Gwadar Power Plant, Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline, Gwadar Eastbay Expressway, Gwadar New International Airport, Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, Expansion of Multi-purpose Terminal including Breakwater & Dredging Wastewater, Treatment Plants for Gwadar City, Gwadar Primary School, Gwadar Hospital Upgradation, Gwadar Technical & Vocational College,Gwadar Eastbay Expressway II, Fresh Water Supply and Gwadar Free Zone.

About Khyber Pakhtunkwa, he said at least eight projects under CPEC relate to KPK: Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1, Establishment of Havelian Dry Port, KKH II (Havelian-Thakot) Upgradation of ML-1, KKH III (Raikot-Thakot), D.I.Khan-Quetta Highway (N-50), Suki Kinari Hydropower Project and Optical Fiber Cable from Rawalpindi to Khunjrab.

He said that 13 CPEC projects relate to Sindh: Matiari- Lahore Transmission Line, Matiari-Faisalabad Transmission Line, Port Qasim Power Plant Engro Thar Power Plant & Surface Mine in Block II of Thar Coal Field Dawood Wind Farm, Jhimpir Wind Farm, Sachal Wind Farm,China-Sunec Wind Farm,Upgradation of ML-1, Thar Coal Block I & Mine Mouth Power Plant,Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG Terminal & Pipeline,Karachi-Lahore Motorway (Sukkur-Multan), Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1.

He said only 12 projects under CPEC relate to Punjab and these are: Optical Fiber Cable from Rawalpindi to Khunjrab, Haier &
Ruba Economic Zone II, Karachi-Lahore Motorway (Sukkur-Multan), Joint Feasibility Study for Upgradation of ML1, Upgradation of ML-1, Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant, Rahimyar Khan Coal Power Plant, Karot Hydro-Power Plant, Lahore Orange Line Metro Train, Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line, Matiari-Faisalabad Transmission Line Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur.

China has already invested $14 billion in 30 early-harvest projects to be completed under CPEC, a flagship project of the One Belt One Road initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Out of the 30 projects, 16 were under construction, a statement quoted Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhao Lijian as saying, blogger Wali Zahid wrote. – APP