ISLAMABAD: Pakistan flagged off prolonged delays in five of its crucial power and rail projects with China during a crucial meeting to discuss China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. A meeting of the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC was held on Thursday where Pakistan urged China to expedite five projects worth $18.5 billion. According to The Express Tribune report, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed apprehension that any delay would lead to a breakdown of the rail system in the country in a year and delay the generation of 3,100 MW of electricity.
Projects facing delays of years
However, no announcement was made after the meeting in which “missed opportunities” and “prolonged delays” in the execution of plans agreed eight years ago were discussed. The five projects on which Islamabad has requested China to expedite work include the US$10 billion Mainline-I railway project, the US$1.2 billion Karachi Circular Railway project, the US$1.6 billion Azad Pattan Hydroelectric project, USD 2.5 billion Kohala power project and USD 3 billion Thar Block-I coal project on priority, The Express Tribune quoted officials who attended the meeting as saying.
“These projects are facing delays of years due to constraints from both the sides,” the official said.
Pakistan Asked China to consider Islamabad’s request for the transfer of the USD 584 million Gwadar power plant. The Planning Minister also considered Pakistan’s failure to reap the benefits of Chinese experience to develop its Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
“The government has not signed the minutes of the 11th JCC and a formal announcement about the result will be made during Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to China,” the minister said.
“The PM will be on a two-day visit on November 1.
At least 28 Chinese projects worth US$18.8 billion have been completed, but plans worth US$34 billion are yet to be completed.
“If we do not start the ML-I (mainline-I railway project) immediately, the main line of Pakistan Railways will collapse within a year,” Iqbal told the deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
It is worth noting that since China took the ML-I project under the purview of CPEC, Pakistan Railways did not invest in the project. Discussion on the issues facing Chinese independent power producers in CPEC projects was also the focus of the meeting.
The minister lamented the “prolonged delay” in the execution of the three projects with a total generation capacity of 3,100 MW. The media portal said that he urged China to ensure that its financing deals are finalized at the earliest.