Bajwa dismisses impression regarding CPEC projects slowdown

Chairman China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Lt. General (retired) Asim Saleem Bajwa has dismissed the impression that the pace of CPEC related projects have slowed down, saying that the scope has actually enhanced.

“Some detractors giving a false impression of CPEC being slowed. Not only pace of work on projects picked up recently, a great deal of groundwork done to launch phase-2,” said Bajwa in a tweet post on Wednesday.

“Not only pace of work on projects picked up recently, a great deal of groundwork done to launch phase-2,” he added.

Bajwa further said that projects including the $7.2bn ML-1 project, two hydel power projects being built on the investments of $3.5bn, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and agriculture projects would soon be completed. “Scope actually enhanced,” he opined.

Back in February, Bajwa made similar statements saying that the coronavirus epidemic would not affect the pace of CPEC projects.

Just days ago, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that China had agreed for a bilateral mechanism for resolving issues pertaining to the CPEC energy projects.

The minister informed that work on the ML-I railway project would be started next year. He said that work on three Special Economic Zones would be started including Rashakai Special Economic Zone in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Bostan Economic Zone in Balochistan, and Allama Iqbal Economic Zone in Punjab.

Umar further said that Rs77 billion had been allocated for the CPEC development projects.