Top Pakistani parliamentary committee on CPEC stresses for expediting work on OBOR projects
Muzaffarabad: Participants of a dialogue under Pakistani parliamentary committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) here stressed the need to expedite the proposed projects under the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to achieve the earliest benefits of this world’s largest economic plan.
The participants of the dialogue, were of the view that these projects particularly the 4M expressway from Mangla to Muzaffarabad will shorten the trade rout benefiting all the stake holders in different manner.
This dialogue was presided over by Chairman parliamentary committee on CPEC Shair Ali Arbab, said an official statement.
Chairman committee Shair Ali Arbab in his inaugural speech stressed that the parliamentary committee in its recommendation will suggest the measures to government for expedition of CPEC projects in the national interest after a nationwide consultation with stake holders and regional governments to collect maximum benefits of the opportunity.
He pointed out that the committee comprised members of parliament belonging to all the political parties and the recommendations would be taken as unanimous and national consensus abiding the government to take steps accordingly removing the apprehensions of smaller provinces like Balochistan, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
Arbab maintained that the committee first preferred GB to hold a dialogue on the issue and collected the recommendations from all the stake holders, then the second station was AJK where they held this dialogue and after that they will go to Balochistan to listen the issues and apprehensions of the most backward province, the start point of the one road- one belt initiative.
He remarked that the 4-M expressway (Mansehra- Muzaffarabad-Mirpur- Mangla) project of AJK under CPEC was a significant of the whole initiative as it would cut the distance shorter along with linking it to GB directly through a tunnel in Neelum Valley which would benefit all the stake holders associated with the trade route besides boosting tourism industry in the region.
He said the committee would suggest the government to prioritize this project along with a special economic zone (SEZ) out of nine total, in Mirpur AJK so that the region could collect maximum benefits of the initiative besides catching huge investment in tourism and other sectors after having a highest standard of road connectivity.
He assured the participants and representatives of AJK government to extend the highest level cooperation and support for resolving the issues at central level regarding CPEC projects including energy generation ones and said he was representing the parliament on this forum so no government official will dare to ignore his instructions.
He underscored that the committee initiated this consultation at regional levels keeping in mind that the decision regarding these areas should not be taken at the level of top houses in Islamabad and the input of the stake holders shall be included while taking decisions in the national interest.
He promised that the recommendations taken in the panel discussions will be included in the final recommendations and suggestions of the committee to government after the consultative process in all the provinces and asked the representatives of stake holders to bring all apprehensions in his knowledge so that he could convey to the concern departments at centre with the recommended measures.
Speaking on the Occasion, member committee Nafeesa Khatak stressed the need to increase participation of women folk in the development process pointing out the little participation of females in the dialogue and said the region was blessed with highest literacy rate of women and they should come forward shoulder to shoulder to their men for the development.
She said educated women could make a carrier in hospitality and tourism besides other sectors and their men should encourage them for the betterment of family and enhancing overall productivity in the region adding that CPEC would not be successful without the participation of women folk.
Latter, the participants took part in discussions in two separate panels, one on energy potential of AJK under CPEC and other on strategic connectivity and tourism under CPEC and recommended different measures to be taken after identification of potentials in different sectors.
The dialogue was participated by member committee Nafeesa Khatak, senior most minister AJK Sardar Tanveer Illiyas Khan, Speaker legislative Assembly Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, AJK minister planning and development Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed, AJK minister finance Abdul Majid Khan, officials of the different affiliated departments of the Federal and regional governments, representatives of academia, business community, civil society and the media.
