Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal stated that Chabahar port complements the CPEC. Russian ambassador to Pakistan has said that his country “strongly” supports the CPEC project. According to media reports, in the next phase of CPEC, Karachi-Peshawar railway tracks will be made signal-free and gate-free. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has proposed multiple alternative routes for the western alignment of the CPEC. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated Sorab-Hoshab highway on the western route of CPEC.

Chabahar Complements CPEC:

Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan does not look at the Chabahar port’s progress as a competition but a development that complements the CPEC.[1] He added that “[W]e are the poorest integrated region in the world” and that CPEC is not only meant for Pakistan but the entire region.[2] His statement was intended to pacify the skepticism regarding the development of Chabahar port in neighboring Iran. In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had signed an agreement to build a transport-and-trade corridor through Afghanistan by developing the strategic port of Chabahar in Iran.[3] Due to New Delhi’s central role in that development, some security observers in Pakistan started looking at this deal as ‘a security threat’ to Islamabad.[4] The clarification on the part of minister might be an important step towards the inclusion of the neighboring countries with an interest in CPEC.

Russia Supports CPEC:

Russian ambassador to Pakistan Alexy Y. Dedov stated that his country “strongly” supports the CPEC project.[5] He noted that the corridor is crucial for Pakistan’s economy and regional connectivity. Dedov added that CPEC was a component of China’s Silk Road and that his country was also working on a similar Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Last month Moscow had rejected the reports by Pakistani media that Russia was holding ‘secret negations’ with Islamabad to become part of CPEC as baseless. It shows that Russia is sensitive towards New Delhi’s stakes in CPEC and does not want to antagonize India at the moment.

Karachi-Peshawar Railway Track:

In the next phase of CPEC, Karachi-Peshawar railway tracks will be made signal-free and gate-free.[6] Work on this project will be started in January and the first phase will focus on Rawalpindi-Peshawar tracks. A fence will be built around the tracks and an underpass or overhead bridge will be built at every gate on the tracks. Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways (PR) is preparing a feasibility report for linking Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Peshawar and Torkham through a railway line.[7] In another case, PR is devising a strategy for an alternative route of the Chaman-Spin Boldak rail to approach Afghanistan and Central Asia via Torkham, with a focus on trade volume. Although under the initial stage of CPEC, the focus is on developing the road connections, significance of railway tracks in not lost on the policy-makers. Such intra and inter-regional railway lines will play crucial role in transiting massive trade in the future.

KP’s Alternative Routes:

In a letter to the Federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, the KP government has proposed two alternative routes for the western alignment of the CPEC.[8] The first route proposes to link Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) to Gwadar through Shandor, Chakdara, Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob and Quetta. The second route will link G-B to Gwadar through Bisham, Shangla, Buner, Katlang, Swabi, Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob and Quetta. The KP government has also proposed an alternative railway track connecting Gilgit with Shangla and Dargai via Shandor. The reason given by the KP government for these routes is that the Karakoram Highway (KKH) remains closed twice or thrice a year due to heavy snowfall and landslides and these alternative routes will keep the transport running throughout the year. These routes will ultimately provide access to Central Asian Countries through Afghanistan. In other words KP wants to show that it has to play significant role in the success and diversification of the routes of corridor and the western route cannot be ignored easily.

Miscellaneous:

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed has termed CPEC as a way forward for Pakistan.[9] Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated Sorab-Hoshab highway on the western route of CPEC.[10] President Mamnoon Hussain has described China’s friendship as a precious asset for Pakistan.[11]

This report is compiled and written by Abdur Rehman Shah, Research Associate at the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), and edited by Zeeshan Salahuddin, Senior Research Fellow at CRSS, Islamabad.

[1] Our Correspondent. (2016, December 16). Iqbal does not view Chabahar port as competition. Retrieved on December 16, 2016, from http://epaper.tribune.com.pk/DisplayDetails.aspx?ENI_ID=11201612160209&EN_ID=11201612160070&EMID=11201612160034

[2] Web Desk. (2016, December 15). Iran’s Chabahar port to complement CPEC: minister. Retrieved on December 16, 2016, from http://arynews.tv/en/irans-chabahar-port-to-complement-cpec-minister/

[3] Agencies. (2016, May24). India, Iran and Afghanistan sign Chabahar port agreement. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/india-iran-afghanistan-sign-chabahar-port-agreement/story-2EytbKZeo6zeCIpR8WSuAO.html

[4] Staff Reporter. (2016, May 31). ‘Trade route linking Chabahar with Afghanistan a security threat’. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://www.dawn.com/news/1261792

[5] APP. (2016, December 17). Russia supports China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project: envoy. Retrieved n December 19, 2016, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1302890/russia-supports-china-pakistan-economic-corridor-project-envoy

[6] Dawn.com. (2016, December 18). In next phase CPEC, Karachi-Peshawar railway tracks to be made signal-free and gate-free. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://www.dawn.com/news/1303092/in-next-phase-of-cpec-karachi-peshawar-railway-tracks-to-be-made-signal-free

[7] Radio Pakistan. (2016, December 18). Railway track to be made gate-free, signal-free under CPEC. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://www.radio.gov.pk/18-Dec-2016/railway-tracks-to-be-made-gate-free-signal-free-under-cpec

[8] Khattak, Sohail. (2016, December 16). KP proposes alternative routes for CPEC western alignment. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://tribune.com.pk/story/1264815/western-alignment-k-p-proposes-alternative-routes-cpec/

[9] Our Correspondent. (2016, December 15). Gwadar, CPEC termed the way forward for Pakistan. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=15_12_2016_005_006

[10] Dawn.com (2016, December 14). ‘We are making a new Baochistan’: PM inaugurates Sorab-Hoshab highway on CPEC’s western route. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://www.dawn.com/news/1302288/we-are-making-a-new-balochistan-pm-inaugurates-sorab-hoshab-highway-on-cpecs-western-route

[11] APP. (2016, December 18). China’s friendship a precious asset: president. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from http://epaper.tribune.com.pk/DisplayDetails.aspx?ENI_ID=11201612180085&EN_ID=11201612180034&EMID=11201612180016