Defence Minister-led steering committee to hold maiden meeting on December 14 to expedite work on CPEC projects

Islamabad: Pakistan Defence Minister Pervez Khattak-led steering committee to ovsersee China-Pakistan Economic Corridor related projects in the Khyber Pakhtunkhaw province will hold its maiden meeting on Monday (December 14) to expedite the work on the CPEC ventures.

The steering committee will take up Chashma Right Bank Canal project in its first meeting, an official statement said.

The establishment of the Steering Committee was agreed at a recent meeting between Speaker National Assembly and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Mehmood Khan after they felt the CPEC projects were moving ahead at slow pace due to procedural and coordination flaws.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser had approved establishment of a steering committee under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak to oversee the CPEC related projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw.

The steering committee would oversee and resolve the issues related to Chasma Right Bank Canal Project, Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and Chakdara Chitral Road (Dir Motorway). The committee has also been mandated to oversee the expeditious execution of the CPEC projects in KPK and their timely completion.

Federal Ministers Ali Amin Gandapur, Faisal Vawda , Murad Saeed and Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Provincial Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra , Member National Assembly Yaqoob Sheikh are the members of the steering committee. Besides the Additional Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhaw and all the secretaries of the concerned ministries will also be members of the steering committee.

Recently, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had said the Chashma Right Bank Canal Project will make the province self-sufficient in the agriculture production.