QUETTA: President Mamnoon Hussain has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be built along the stipulated route, with Balochistan being the main beneficiary of the project.

“It will bring a major change in the economy of the entire region,” the president added.

Talking to editors, other journalists and parliamentarians of Balochistan at the Governor House on Tuesday after arriving here on a two-day visit, he said the Chinese government had started work on the project and its engineers and other officials had arrived for the purpose. The government had taken steps to ensure their security, he said.

“The army has established a new division which will provide full security to the Chinese working on this important project,” Mr Mamnoon said.

The president said some elements were spreading rumours despite a clear decision taken at a conference, attended by all political parties, that there would be no change in the corridor.

“It will bring a major change in the economy of the entire region”

He said the people would reject any hurdle in implementation of the project.

In reply to a question, he said there were many causes of the backwardness of Balochistan and the blame did not lie solely with the government.

The president said the situation in the province was improving and the elements involved in creating insurgency-like conditions had started surrendering, terming it a good omen.

“The local leadership should not allow anyone to hinder execution of the economic corridor because Balochistan will be the major beneficiary of the mega project,” he said.

Mamnoon Hussain said the corridor included several major projects, including the Gwadar Deep Sea Port, motorways and power generation units running on oil, coal and atomic energy. The Hazara and Lahore-Karachi motorways were part of the corridor, he added.

He said work on the Hazara Motorway had begun and “Chinese engineers have told me that they will build more motorways, which will be connected with the economic corridor”.

The president said the corridor would generate jobs for the people of Balochistan.

He said 3,000 megawatts of electricity would be added to the national grid next year and 7,000MW by 2017, after which loadshedding was likely to decrease significantly by 2018.

He said the Dasu and Basha dams would generate 4,500MW each and the latter would also conserve water.

The president said that while friendly countries like China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Central Asian states were offering financial help for development projects in Pakistan, India had announced an investment of $15 billion in the Iranian port of Chabahar to compete with Gwadar.

“Due to its suitable geographical location and comparatively short route, the world will prefer the Gwadar Port,” he said, adding that Central Asian states had begun building roads to link up with the China-Pakistan corridor.

He said corruption was detrimental to development and people should play their role against the menace.

The law and order situation in Balochistan had improved and this would bring progress and prosperity for the people. “Development of any region is linked with durable peace.” Positive changes introduced in the province were bearing fruit, he said.

“Misguided persons should join the mainstream politics for betterment of the people of Balochistan. We have to promote love and end hatred,” he said.

The president emphasised the need to launch large projects to meet the water needs of Balochistan.

The president said the issue of the arrest of a refugee and blocking of an identity card by the National Database and Registration Authority on suspicion of having been issued to an Afghan should be resolved at the local level.

According to APP, the president, while talking to lawmakers, offered to arrange a meeting between the political leaders of Balochistan and the Chinese ambassador so as to remove their apprehensions about CPEC.

President Mamnoon Hussain said the previous governments had not taken interest in development projects and had not built dams to cope with the shortage of water and electricity. He said the operation against crimes in Karachi had contributed to improving the law and order situation and restoring peace in the city to a large extent.

The president also said the Zarb-i-Azb military operation was nearing a successful completion with elimination of terrorists in the tribal areas.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2015

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