Daily Times

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said that a security review meeting will be held every month on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Planning Ministry said in a statement that the directives were issued by the minister while chairing a meeting to review the security progress on CPEC projects. The meeting was attended by the secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the secretary Ministry of Interior, the secretary Ministry of Information, and other relevant stakeholders.

Ahsan Iqbal urged the need to build a safe and secure environment for CPEC and to effectively tackle kinetic and non-kinetic challenges.

“CPEC is a flagship project of Pakistan and China Economic Cooperation which can enable Pakistan to become an industrial economy. It is unfortunate that the momentum of 2013-18 could not be sustained,” said the minister.

Ahsan Iqbal also expressed concern that Pakistan’s side of CPEC’s Joint Working Group on Security was also not holding meetings frequently. He directed the Interior Ministry to regularly convene its meetings on a monthly basis. He also emphasised that the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) should function as per its laid role and objectives so the government can be provided with an in-depth assessment of security challenges that are grounded in the socio-economic of the country.

“It will help the government expand its security lens by addressing socio-economic grievances of the people that may if left unaddressed translate into security challenges. Our security lens must also focus on limiting the vulnerability of our youth towards violence, extremism and propaganda,” said the minister.

Ahsan Iqbal also directed all line ministries to ensure that laid down security protocols are followed by the Chinese nationals working on the CPEC. Furthermore, the minister stated that propaganda against CPEC is an attempt to deny people of less developed regions in Pakistan from positive socio-economic externalises that will stem from CPEC.

Meanwhile, Ahsan Iqbal said while talking to a private news channel that the PML-N believed in serving the masses, rather than politics of revenge and agitation.

He said the bad performance of the PTI left the country in isolation and economically under the darkness. He said the PML-N will expose the PTI poor performance and legacy before the public and PML-N led government would leave no stone unturned to put the country on road to progress.

The minister said PTI leadership has defamed because of introducing new un-ethical culture in the politics and have lost all moral ground in the field after losing power. He also criticized the PTI for their sit-inns politics as masses wanted to have a politically and economically stable country rather off baseless accusations of previous regimes.

The minister alleged that Imran Khan was the biggest ever money launderer of the history of the country in politics and was involved in extra un-constitutional activities. He said the PML-N will follow all cases regarding money laundering under the law which the PTI has passed in its tenure.