AIRLINK 62.18 Decreased By ▼ -0.51 (-0.81%)
BOP 6.23 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (0.48%)
CNERGY 4.98 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (0.61%)
DFML 14.93 Decreased By ▼ -0.23 (-1.52%)
DGKC 68.54 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.07%)
FCCL 17.71 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (0.34%)
FFBL 24.56 Decreased By ▼ -0.62 (-2.46%)
FFL 9.16 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (1.22%)
GGL 9.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.12 (-1.2%)
HBL 108.60 Decreased By ▼ -5.15 (-4.53%)
HUBC 116.79 Increased By ▲ 0.90 (0.78%)
HUMNL 6.69 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (0.3%)
KEL 4.46 Decreased By ▼ -0.11 (-2.41%)
KOSM 4.76 Increased By ▲ 0.16 (3.48%)
MLCF 36.77 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.11%)
OGDC 123.33 Decreased By ▼ -0.92 (-0.74%)
PAEL 22.32 Decreased By ▼ -0.30 (-1.33%)
PIAA 22.22 Increased By ▲ 1.55 (7.5%)
PIBTL 5.74 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.17%)
PPL 110.93 Decreased By ▼ -0.87 (-0.78%)
PRL 27.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-0.29%)
PTC 14.19 Increased By ▲ 0.93 (7.01%)
SEARL 53.10 Increased By ▲ 0.30 (0.57%)
SNGP 63.67 Increased By ▲ 0.66 (1.05%)
SSGC 11.01 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (1.01%)
TELE 9.00 Increased By ▲ 0.30 (3.45%)
TPLP 10.74 Decreased By ▼ -0.16 (-1.47%)
TRG 70.21 Increased By ▲ 1.06 (1.53%)
UNITY 24.04 Increased By ▲ 1.04 (4.52%)
WTL 1.36 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (1.49%)
BR100 6,698 Increased By 18 (0.27%)
BR30 22,618 Increased By 34.8 (0.15%)
KSE100 64,891 Increased By 74 (0.11%)
KSE30 21,536 Decreased By -21 (-0.1%)

ISLAMABAD: China has reportedly sought compensation of $38 million (Rs 6.5 billion) from Pakistan for the dead and injured Chinese engineers working on Dasu Hydropower Project, prior to resuming work on the stalled project, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

On July 14, 2021, thirteen people, including nine Chinese engineers, two locals and two personnel of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) died and over two dozen other people sustained injuries when a bus carrying the team working on the project fell into a ravine after it was hit by a car laden with explosives.

Pakistani authorities say that Indian Spy Agency, RAW, was directly involved in the attack on the Chinese team working on construction of tunnel site of 4,300MW Dasu project.

According to Secretary Water Resources, Dr Shahzeb Khan Bangash, the civil work in the project has been stalled since the attack on Chinese engineers in July.

The sources said the issue of compensation to the Chinese nationals is being discussed at a high level. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese embassy were working closely on the compensation package, as well as, resumption of work on the project.

According to sources, the Steering Committee, comprising Secretaries of concerned Ministries had constituted another Committee which deliberated on the issues linked to Dasu project, especially volume of compensation being demanded by the Chinese government.

Govt tells NA body: Work on Dasu Dam remains stalled since attack on Chinese

The Committee has constituted a Subcommittee, comprising all the relevant Ministries to discuss compensation package by taking the Chinese embassy on board as the proposed package is being termed as “irrational”.

The sources said, the Subcommittee of all Ministries will deliberate on the compensation package demanded by the Chinese government and will share its working with the main committee, which will give its approval. “The Subcommittee will develop a benchmark for compensation considering that if the demand of Chinese government is met as it is it will create issues for the government in future,” the sources maintained. Secretary Water Resources, the sources said, is hopeful that compensation issue will be sorted out within a couple of weeks, after which civil work on the site will resume.

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) which had allowed one per cent of capital cost as security to be built in the consumers’ end tariff, has not yet inquired from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) as to the reasons for the insufficient security to those who are working on power projects.

The Chinese firm, China Gezhouba Group Corp, which suspended work on the Dasu project after the bus incident, had announced negation of its decision to resume work and terminate Pakistani workers, on the request of the Pakistani government. However, the company has not yet resumed work and is saying that it will not proceed ahead until compensation package and more security of Chinese nationals is provided.

Recently, Chairman Water and Power Development Authority, Lt. Gen. Muzammal Hussain (retired) who has secured another term met Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him about hydropower projects including the Dasu project.

“We are in close contact with the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, as well as, China Gezhouba Group Corp so that work resumes on the project within the next 15 days,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

Comments

Comments are closed.

Vinay Oct 15, 2021 10:02am
What's this vague condition of terminating Pakistani workers in lieu of Chinese labour being imported at very high cost and charged for from Pakistani state coffers?????!!!!!! Blaming foreign agencies and stopping work is not professionalism, China better finishes work on that dam within the contact period and handover to Pakistan state soon. They're contractors first, not administrators.
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Wajahat Mustafa Beg Oct 16, 2021 04:52pm
@Vinay, something very crooked is going on. Should be dealth with sternly, not like slaves. First, v were slaves to USA and now the chinese. No backbone at all. And those with backbone are harrassed
thumb_up Recommended (0)
fayyaz noor Oct 16, 2021 11:05pm
stop fake news against china and cpec
thumb_up Recommended (0)
N K Ali Oct 17, 2021 12:42pm
Most of our bureaucrats and politicians are retro-active. "Haan haan, abhi buhot time hai. Dekhi jayegi." It is this approach that led to the suicide attack on the bus. Secondly, Taking China for granted. "Wo apne bhai hai. Maan jayenge." Pakistan is caught in a zero-option situation. The only option is to pay the USD 38 million compensation and beef up security to the maximum, and if the Chinese are willing then bring in a mix of Chinese-Pakistani security. Salams
thumb_up Recommended (0)
N K Ali Oct 17, 2021 12:48pm
@Wajahat Mustafa Beg, backbone...whose backbone? Ours or theirs? You must realize we hate to take orders and after taking orders we go about doing work with loose ends. We have to jack-up ourselves and be willing to to learn, take orders and be humble. We cannot remain "Know-it-alls." Salams
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Muntazar Ahmed Oct 17, 2021 06:03pm
There should be life insurance coverage built into the project cost.
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Muntazar Ahmed Oct 17, 2021 06:05pm
There should be life insurance cover for all employees, not just Chinese.
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Usman Nov 04, 2021 05:08pm
@Vinay, beggers cant be choosers. We under the CPEC have agreed these terms.
thumb_up Recommended (0)