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The National Assembly has been summoned to meet on Monday, the 1st April, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. in the Parliament House, Islamabad
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Parliamentary Committee on CPEC meets

Friday, 12th August, 2016

Parliamentary Committee briefed on CPEC security: New Special Security Division raised, Ahsan Iqbal says all issues amicably resolved with provinces regarding the Western Route.

Islamabad, August 12, 2016:  Parliamentary Committee on CPEC meet today under the chairmanship of Senator Mushahid Hussain.  The committee was briefed by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior on security of CPEC and the various steps that the Government has taken to protect Chinese nationals and Chinese project under the CPEC.  The committee was informed that a 15,000 strong force, comprising over 9000 regular soldiers of the Pakistan Army plus 6000 personnel of the para-military force would comprise the Special Security Division (SSD) that has been entrusted with the duty of protection of Chinese personnel and projects under the CPEC.  Additionally, Rs. 1.3 billion has been allocated for CPEC security in addition to the efforts of provincial governments, the cost of raising the SSD was Rs.5 billion and it took a year to be raised.  Apart from security on land, the government has also taken relevant initiative through the maritime security agency to protect the coast as well as through the Pakistan Air Force.  The Committee directed that pending issues regarding CPEC security particularly the finalization of Terms of Reference (TORs) between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior be resolved at the earliest.

Briefing the Committee, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal invited the members of the Committee to attend the "CPEC Summit" being organized by his Ministry in Islamabad on August 29 to bring the private sector on board for active participation in CPEC.  He termed the CPEC Summit as a national initiative which would bring priviate sector of both countries, Pakistan and China in the construction of CPEC.  He also briefed the committee about his interaction with provincial governments particularly the Chief Minister and parliamentary leaders of the KPK, who, he said were now satisfied with the projects of the CPEC particularly the construction of the Western route which was going on as planned according to the decision of the May 28, 2015 All-Parties Conference.  Ahsan Iqbal told the Committee that the Gwadar to Quetta part of the Western route would be completed by December 2016 while contract for the construction of the Western route through Balochistan and KPK have already been awarded to NLC which would be completed as per commitment by September 2018.  He also said that by that period of middle of 2018, energy generation of Pakistan, thanks to CPEC projects, would be in vicinity of over 10,000 MG which would resolve the problem of load shedding and energy crisis.

The representatives of the Sind government and the KPK government informed that talks were in progress regarding the land issue of Port Qasim project as well as resolution of Sukki Kenari land issue.  

Responding to the comments of Senator Sardar Fateh Mohammad Hasani regarding the work being done by Ahsan Iqbal for promotion of CPEC, the Parliamentary Committee welcomed his diligent commitment and hard work to promoting the CPEC and expressed the hope that other Ministers of the Federal Government would also be as active on CPEC which is a national strategic project.

Senator Mushahid Hussain briefed the committee about his recent visit to China where he attend the Silk Road Forum in Xinjiang province and he said that there was good representation from the province of Pakistan in that international forum which is an annual feature.  He also said that the Chief Minister KPK would be vising China in September and he said that the next Silk Road Forum would be hosted by Pakitan in Islamabad in August 2017.  The meeting was attend by its members, Rana Mohammad Afzal, Ghous Bux Mahar, Alhaj Shahji Gul Afridi, Sardar Fateh Mohammad Hasani, Lt. Gen. (R) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Shibli Faraz, Baz Mohammad Khan and Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Khalid Mahmood.