Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was informed here on Thursday by the Secretary Aviation division that the progress on New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) was on track and it would be fully operational by September 2023.

The meeting of the committee was presided over by its Chairman Sher Ali Arbab. He stressed that Gwadar was the gateway to CPEC and undeniably important in the entire rationale behind CPEC. “We have to place it at high priority therefore no effort should be spared in resolving all the outstanding issues of clean water, electricity, infrastructure, and livelihoods faced by the people of Gwadar,” the Chairman remarked.

Chairman, Gwadar Port Authority informed that all the efforts regarding the completion of Pak-China Technical & Vocational Institute are on the track and the project will be completed in December 2021. Gwadar Port Authority is also consulting with NAVTTC, TEVTA, and Chinese to devise a broad curriculum for the institute.

The committee remarked that while keeping present and future skills required in view, the curriculum for the institute should be devised in a way that there must not be any gap between the skills required and offered in the institute. The committee also directed the concerned departments to expedite the process of payments to be disbursed among the affected people of damaged houses and land acquisitions so that people of Gwadar, who are already agitating for basic amenities of life, could be compensated.

On agenda of Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC), D.I. Khan, Chairman, WAPDA apprised the committee that the feasibility study and the detailed engineering design of the project would be completed by March next year. Chairman remarked that the project was pivotal for the agriculture sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and decided that the committee will convene a special follow-up meeting on the said project in February next year to ensure that the given timelines are met in letter and spirit.

The Committee remarked that $1 billion grant given by China for socio-economic development projects under the CPEC framework should be utilized effectively by including the projects having high social impacts and high visibility.

The Committee directed the ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives to devise a comprehensive framework through which provinces may choose the projects which could bring value addition and meet the true sense of socio-economic development.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Sadaqat Ali Khan Abbasi, Umar Aslam Khan, Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, MNA, Ms. Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, MNA, Mr. Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, MNA, Mr. Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Mehnaz Akber Aziz, Raza Rabani Khar, Zahid Akram Durrani, Senators Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo and Khalida Ateeb.