CPEC could become another East

India Company
SYED IRFAN RAZA UPDATED ABOUT 4 HOURS AGO

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers from the upper house on Monday

expressed the fear that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) could turn into another East India Company if the
countrys interests were not actively protected.
Another East India Company is in the offing; national

interests are not being protected. We are proud of the

friendship between Pakistan and China, but the interests of
the state should come first, Senator Tahir Mashhadi,
chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and
Development, said when some committee members raised the
concern that the government was not protecting the rights and
interests of the people.
The East India Company was the British trading mission sent
to India, which became the precursor to the British colonial
presence in the subcontinent, eventually gaining power and
overthrowing the Mughals who ruled India at the time.
Following a briefing by Planning Commission Secretary Yousuf
Nadeem Khokhar, a number of committee members voiced
their fears over what they perceived as the utilisation of local
financing for CPEC projects, instead of funding from the
Chinese or any other foreign investment. They also expressed
concern over the fixing of power tariff for CPEC-related power
projects by the Chinese.

Senators question why most corridor projects are

being funded locally, not through foreign
investment
Since only one of three Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) members of the committee was present at the meeting,
most of this criticism went unanswered. Even Senator Saeedul
Hassan Mandokhail, the lone PML-N senator in attendance,
endorsed the committee chairmans complaints.
The meeting was informed that a major portion of the CPEC
depended on local finances rather than Chinese investment.

It will be very harmful for us if we have to bear the entire

burden; will this [project] be a national development or a
national calamity? Whatever loans taken from China will have
to be paid by the poor people of Pakistan, Mr Mashhadi
observed.
Highlighting the status of CPEC-related power projects, the
Planning Commission secretary said that the Matiari-Lahore
transmission line project had not been scrapped and was
being pursued by its Chinese sponsors.
Recently, the National Energy Power Regulatory Authority
(Nepra) had approved tariff for the project, while the
governments Private Power Infrastructure Board had filed a
review petition on the tariff in order to address the sponsors
concerns.
At this, Senator Usman Khan Kakar pointed out that Nepra had
fixed the power tariff for the project at 71 paisas/unit, while
Chinese investors were demanding 95 paisas/unit.
The government has filed an appeal before Nepra, seeking the

The government has filed an appeal before Nepra, seeking the

increase despite the fact that the burden will be borne by poor
consumers, he said.
The secretary also informed the committee that the Gadani
power plant complex had been shelved due to the lack of a
dedicated jetty.
He also said that the 6,000MW project was not part of the
CPEC.
Senator Kakar immediately reacted, saying that despite the fact
that the project was not part of the CPEC, Chinese Ambassador
Sun Weidong had recently claimed that the Gadani power plant

had not been scrapped and was indeed a part of the corridor.
Why is this project, which does not even exist, being counted
in our account? he asked.
He said that the infrastructure being established in Gwadar
would only benefit the Chinese and Punjab governments, not
the local community. The people of Balochistan will only get
one benefit from this project, which is the water supply, he
said, adding that no electricity or railway projects had been
planned for Balochistan under the CPEC.
Senator Mandokhail said that a sense of deprivation was being
instilled in smaller provinces. We do not want the CPEC at the
cost of the federation, he added.
Since Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal was
not present in the meeting, the senator urged the secretary to
advise him to ensure the integrity of the federation.
Senator Mandokhail also accused the Planning Commission of
prioritising Balochistan very low on its list, given that it has
not representation in the commission itself.

Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Senator Sirajul Haq said that like certain

other parts of the country, Fata and AJK were also being
neglected in the CPEC. There is nothing for both areas in the
CPEC, he said and suggested that a 35km road was built to link
Muzaffarabad to the CPEC so that the people of AJK could also
reap its benefits.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2016

READ THIS NEXT

Eastern
route not
part of
economi
c
corridor,
claims
NHA
chief

RAW
runs
special
cell to
sabotage
CPEC,
says
secretary
defence

Russian
research
er says
CPEC
gamechanger
for the
region

TODAY ON IMAGES
OOOO

I feel horrible:
Priyanka
apologises for
oensive
magazine cover

Indian lm
festival drops
Pakistani movie
after threat from
protesters