Pakistani Naval Task  Force returned from a seven day visit to Shanghai where the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy and the Pakistani Navy concluded their first-ever exercise in the East China Sea. This exercise took place from over two days at the end of the year[1] Additionally, since CPEC has crucial importance and has been considered as the bedrock for future economic development of Pakistan, safety of visiting Chinese engineers, workers and other personnel is paramount. In the pursuit of this objective, Pakistan Navy has trained a special Marines unit to protect Chinese personnel working at the Gwadar Port[2] ___________________________________________________________________________ [1] http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/a-first-china-and-pakistan-conclude-naval-exercise-in-east-china-sea/ [2] http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/pak-navy-raises-special-marines-to-protect-chinese-engineers-at-gawadar-port/  

Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, Governor KP has recognized certain serious issues in the current governance and stressed that there is dire need to maintain unanimity for the progressive and peaceful development of Pakistan[1] [2]. He acknowledged China-Pakistan Economic Corridor a perfect initiative for the economic development of the whole country rather any particular region. Additionally, under the umbrella of CPEC, the federal government has endorsed five industrial estates as special economic zones[3]. These SEZ would permit to harness the physical and human resources of the country. It would attract the foreign direct investment with more employment opportunities. The CPEC investment of 40 billion, which contributed to the improved GDP of 2.8%, correspondingly would cause the attraction of indirect investment. Despite of the huge standing of CPEC, it national significance does not seem to supersede domestic political conflicts and differences of opinion. There is substantial lack of consensus among federal and provincial political leaders over CPEC.  Sardar Mahtab said, “The country was facing internal and external enemies, and the nation would have to act in unison to foil the enemies’ designs”.2 _______________________________________________________________________________ [1] http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/86407-Governor-reopens-Bara-Bazaar [2] http://www.dawn.com/news/1230624/cpec-to-generate-economic-activity-in-hazara-governo [3] http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/five-industrial-estates-upgraded-as-special-economic-zones-under-cpec/

ISLAMABAD: The Opposition comprising of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) parliamentarians indulged in a war of words with the treasury over the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). On the other hand, the parliamentarians were of the view that Pakistan must play role of a mediator so that the rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran could be put to rest. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal revealed that the KP government had demanded the federal government for permitting them to borrow from Asian Development Bank (ADB) so they could also provide their people with the Metro Bus Service (MBS). Iqbal went on to say that permission was granted almost a year ago and so far the project is merely on paper. Iqbal expressed sorrow over the parliamentarians for spreading negative propaganda against the CPEC in the media forgetting that this project is of national significance, adding that the negative propaganda also reaches China and a continuity of which may sabotage the entire plan. Iqbal further said that CPEC is as important as the national nuclear programme. Iqbal expressed grief that although several briefings have been given both during the All Parties’ Conference (APC) and to the Senate but reservations still exist, adding that all reservations be put before the parliamentary committee rather than the media or the Lower House. Iqbal revealed that out of $46 billion, $38 billion are for energy projects for which private investors on the framework of Independent Power Producers (IPP) are expediting efforts, adding that China is investing in Pakistan at a time when the local investors are shying away. He further revealed that CPEC is a “15 years” long project and that in the first phase, energy infrastructure will be put in place. He further revealed that for ensuring compatibility with phase one, it is essential that the economy growth rate is maintained at 7 to 8%. The funding for all phases are being fetched from China, from our own resources and as well...

China is investing 500 billion U.S Dollars in different countries on building infrastructure and developing industrial and business projects. Pakistan is just one country among many where China is building infrastructure projects, the latest and the biggest one is termed as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. (CPEC). China is investing 60 billion Dollars in Africa on infrastructure and developmental projects. China has pledged 30 billion Dollars in deals and investment in the United Kingdom. Agreements between Chinese government and the UK were signed during the state visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to the UK in Fall 2015. The British public and media do not view China favorably but Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is very excited because Chinese investment will create nearly 4000 new jobs in the UK. China is also investing heavily in infrastructure projects in Russia. Moscow and Beijing are developing mega projects to link the Eurasian Economic Union with the Silk Road Economic Belt, another project is a high-speed railroad between Moscow and Kazan, also planned is a highway from Kazakhstan to Europe. These are among many projects which China is funding. China will invest many billion Dollars in energy and other sectors in Russia. China has built several oil and gas pipelines in Central Asia. China’s annual trade with five Central Asian states has exceeded 50 billion Dollars. Russia and China mutual trade has decreased due to low oil prices but China plans to increase its trade with Russia to 200 billion Dollars per year by 2020. China is expanding its influence and investment in the EU as well. U.S companies are eager for Chinese investment. From Singapore to Bangladesh the at one end of the world to Latin America at the other, China has given new meanings to diplomacy and international relations. More than 30,000 Chinese companies and businesses are operating abroad and 400 million Chinese nationals are expected to visit or work in other...

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has threatened to take extreme steps if the federal government does not complete the western alignment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on a priority basis. This was said by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak at a news conference at his residence on Thursday following a meeting with Parliamentary Committee on CPEC Chairperson Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed and other leaders. According to Khattak, it was mutually agreed at the all-parties conference on May 28, 2015 that the western route of CPEC would be built during the first phase on a priority basis. “However, it was later revealed the western route was not being constructed,” he said. “On the contrary, it’s only a road and a highway in place of the western route.” Khattak added, “We do not need a road. The provincial government can make roads with its own budget.” According to the CM, his government will vehemently reject the construction of just a road rather than a western alignment. “K-P needs a proper corridor with all components including railway tracks, LNG transmission lines and electricity projects,” he said. “If these components are not provided then the industrial parks and trade zones can’t be constructed along with it.” Left in the lurch Khattak added the federal government has limited all the components to the corridor between Gwadar and Rawalpindi. “Hazara will not have industrial parks and trade zones as the components of the corridor are limited till Rawalpindi,” he said. “The region will not be the beneficiary of the route.” The CM said China is using the economic corridor project to develop its underdeveloped areas. “Many areas on the western route are underdeveloped, but have been ignored,” he said. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif doesn’t look beyond Lahore, Multan and other areas of Punjab. We, on the other hand, care about the country.” Khattak said extreme measures are justified as K-P is a war-torn region and the corridor could alter its fate....

ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday moved to address transparency concerns over $46 billion deals under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), coming down hard on critics who have been raising concerns over growing public debt. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chose a government-funded forum on transparency in the public sector to address apprehensions over transparency in various government deals including CPEC and privatisation transactions. He also rejected allegations that the government was influencing the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) to give a favourable report on Rs480 billion circular debt payments made in June 2013. “The government is taking all necessary measures to make sure CPEC remains transparent,” Dar said. He vowed there would not be the slightest compromise on the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness at any stage of the project. The government has not yet made public the framework agreement of CPEC signed between China and Pakistan. Dar supported the proposal to make the framework agreement public. In recent days, the government upward revised the cost of road construction projects of CPEC in a haste, which deepened transparency concerns. Dar emphasised that the $46 billion deals would not increase public debt by the same amount, as $34 billion worth projects were in the private sector. He said ‘pseudo-intellectuals’ were misguiding the people over the exact volume of public debt. “During the two-and-a-half-year tenure of the PML-N government, public debt increased only by Rs3.8 trillion,” the finance minister said. According to data released by the State Bank, total public debt stood at Rs18.5 trillion by end of September. Dar said the government was aware that the country cannot be permanently run on borrowings. “Only economic sovereignty will make Pakistan a real nuclear power.” He claimed that economic decisions were made in a transparent manner, adding that the government was streamlining the existing policy making...