Current Projects

China to Include $14 bn Diamer-Bhasha Dam in CPEC

ISLAMABAD: In a major development, Beijing has shown its willingness to include $14 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework and its financing plan will be finalised in the next Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting. The estimated cost of the CPEC will definitely go beyond $46 billion, as China has also agreed to finance dual carriageway for western route starting from Burhan to DI Khan and onward to Gwadar. Both the countries have also decided to make Gilgit-Baltistan as the model area under CPEC whereby development projects would be identified in the next JCC meeting. “Pakistan has made a formal request to China for including Diamer-Bhasha Dam into CPEC framework and now Beijing has shown its willingness to discuss details of this important project in the next JCC meeting which will take place after six months,” official sources confirmed to The News on Saturday. Pakistan requested inclusion of western route into the CPEC framework because Parliament, especially nationalist parties of KP, were pressing the government to ensure timely construction of this route. They were even blaming the government for focusing only on the Punjab under the CPEC initiative so the government pressed the Chinese side to include dual carriageway of western route into the framework of CPEC. The government decided to unbundle Bhasha Dam into civil work. For civil work, the construction cost stands at $7 billion which can be financed through a consortium of multilateral and bilateral donors including China. Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal confirmed to The News that China had been formally requested to include Bhasha Dam into the CPEC framework for new projects going to be considered for 2016. “Pakistan’s food and water security is very important and Bhasha Dam seems feasible for them being located along the Karakoram Highway (KKH),” he added. After unbundling Bhasha, the minister said the civil work would be...

First meeting of the Pak-Afghan Regional Civil Society Group Concluded

The Center of Research and Security Studies (CRSS), in partnership with its Afghan counterpart organization DURAN Research and Analysis, launched a major Pakistan-Afghanistan Track 1.5/II project “Beyond Boundaries” (BB). The initiative, launched in the second week of November, is a part of the efforts to help improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. BB will be implemented in close coordination with the Government of Afghanistan, and the Government of Pakistan. The endeavor is anchored in workshops that feature eight representatives from Pakistan and Afghanistan each, engaging in an open discourse about narratives, grievances and the way forward. The workshop sessions comprise of two working groups; Regional Security Group (RSG), and Regional Civil Society Group (RCSG). Both groups are slated have three meetings each in Islamabad and Kabul, followed by a concluding meeting in Islamabad. The key objectives of the initiative are: expanding the peace constituency through friendship groups in both countries; improving support for better Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship through enhanced dialogue among the influential stakeholders of both sides; encouraging dialogues at various levels through official and unofficial communication channels; and, informing policy makers through forums, policy documents and media. Initiatives like BB will bring together influential government and non-governmental stake-holders who can help reduce tensions, address misconceptions, and revive some level of confidence. The ultimate objective is to eventually urge both governments and key stakeholders away from the mutual vitriol and antagonism, and towards a more trusting and collaborative approach that enhances peace, security, and regional cooperation. The first meeting of the RCSG working group was held in Islamabad from November 9-10, 2015 against the backdrop of a politically grim environment. The inaugural session was chaired jointly by the Federal Minster for Commerce,...

Lahore Disneyland-like Facility to Cost Rs36 billion

LAHORE: The Punjab government has signed an agreement with a Chinese company (Golden Bean Group) for the construction of a state-of-the-art Theme Park and Aquarium in Lahore at a cost of Rs36 billion which will have recreational facilities like Disneyland. The Chinese company will complete the world class Theme Park in one-and-a-half years. Lahore Commissioner Abdullah Sumbal along with Punjab Horticulture Authority director-general Mian Muhammad Shakeel and Chinese company chairman Jin Ming Nan signed the agreement here on Thursday. According to a handout, the Golden Bean Group will also participate in the bidding along with national and international companies for the construction of Sundar Workers Welfare Complex Phase-I, a project of the Punjab Labour Department worth Rs7.78 billion, where 2,900 apartments would be built for industrial workers and labourers. This complex will also have facilities of two separate PWWB schools for boys and girls, a community center, a mosque and other amenities of life. Labour secretary Ali Sarfraz and Chinese company chairman Jin Ming Nan signed the MoU in this regard. Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2015

What Awaits Pakistan’s Strongman in Washington?

The Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif’s Washington visit comes at an extremely critical moment of regional realignments in the neighbourhood. It coincides with an increasingly pro-active Chinese role, spurred by President Xi Jinping’s Corridor politics. By throwing his weight behind the CPEC as the first priority, Xi has clearly marked his preference for Pakistan. This also necessitates an active Chinese political role in the region (read Afghanistan). Many Afghan stakeholders desire China to take the lead. But the disunity within the unity government and the Taliban infighting continues to discourage the Chinese from taking an open position on the Afghan reconciliation. On the other hand, President Obama and his Afghanistan commander John Campbell have also declared Pakistan as “integral to Afghanistan” and once again pinned hopes on Pakistan’s support for the reconciliation process. The US and Chinese administrations are, it seems, cognizant of the competing Indo-Pakistan interests in Afghanistan. The latest US Congressional Research Service report, for instance, clearly speaks of the Indian bid to “deny Pakistan strategic depth in Afghanistan.” While Obama and co want to rely on the Pakistani shoulders, powerful section of the Afghan government remain adamant on denying Pakistan a role in the reconciliation process. Strangely, they want Islamabad to crush the Afghan Taliban, while the rest of the world wants the former to woo them into talks. The US administration still appears fixated on the possible negative consequences of the Pakistani nuclear programme and would want a cap on it. All this turns into a bitter cocktail of wishes. One would assume that Gen. Sharif shall have to deal with all those issues that impinge on the future presence of the US troops in Afghanistan, Indo-Pak relations and the nuclear programme – issues that the civilian government is supposed to be handling. This also places unusual burden on Gen. Sharif because, a) of military’s...

What Awaits Pakistan's Strongman in Washington?

The Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif’s Washington visit comes at an extremely critical moment of regional realignments in the neighbourhood. It coincides with an increasingly pro-active Chinese role, spurred by President Xi Jinping’s Corridor politics. By throwing his weight behind the CPEC as the first priority, Xi has clearly marked his preference for Pakistan. This also necessitates an active Chinese political role in the region (read Afghanistan). Many Afghan stakeholders desire China to take the lead. But the disunity within the unity government and the Taliban infighting continues to discourage the Chinese from taking an open position on the Afghan reconciliation. On the other hand, President Obama and his Afghanistan commander John Campbell have also declared Pakistan as “integral to Afghanistan” and once again pinned hopes on Pakistan’s support for the reconciliation process. The US and Chinese administrations are, it seems, cognizant of the competing Indo-Pakistan interests in Afghanistan. The latest US Congressional Research Service report, for instance, clearly speaks of the Indian bid to “deny Pakistan strategic depth in Afghanistan.” While Obama and co want to rely on the Pakistani shoulders, powerful section of the Afghan government remain adamant on denying Pakistan a role in the reconciliation process. Strangely, they want Islamabad to crush the Afghan Taliban, while the rest of the world wants the former to woo them into talks. The US administration still appears fixated on the possible negative consequences of the Pakistani nuclear programme and would want a cap on it. All this turns into a bitter cocktail of wishes. One would assume that Gen. Sharif shall have to deal with all those issues that impinge on the future presence of the US troops in Afghanistan, Indo-Pak relations and the nuclear programme – issues that the civilian government is supposed to be handling. This also places unusual burden on Gen. Sharif because, a) of military’s...

China, Pakistan Fighter Jet finds First Buyer: Media

BEIJING: The JF-17 fighter, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, notched its first sale at the Dubai Air Show and may receive additional orders in the future, the China Daily said on Wednesday, citing a Chinese executive. Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex closed the deal with an unidentified buyer at the airshow, the newspaper said citing an AVIC statement. It did not say when the contract was signed or how many jets were sold. "Several potential buyers have expressed to us their strong intention of introducing the aircraft," Liu Yu, deputy head of AVIC's military aircraft sales division, was quoted as saying. AVIC executives could not be reached immediately for comment. China's weapons exports jumped 143 percent in the five years to 2014 compared to the previous five-year period, but still only account for about 5 percent of the global arms market. Published on http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-pakistan-fighter-jet-finds-first-buyer-media/articleshow/49745011.cms

Bihar Elections — Mind your Own Business, Pakistan

Bihar has spoken. A thumping rejection of the Modi doctrine. Should Pakistanis rejoice? Not really. Let the non- BJP Indians relish what seems to be a combination of Nitish Kumar’s good work, the enraged Muslim population and the socio-political revolt by lower caste Hindus. Let India’s democratic and secular fraternity deal with the rifts that have become pronounced within the ruling BJP following the defeat in Bihar and the demeaning remarks by the party General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya about Shatrughan Sinha. The sin that the actor-turned-politician had committed was to congratulate Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav. “A dog runs after the car feeling it’s running because of him, but it’s not. The party doesn’t run because of one man” was how Vijayvargiya ran down Sinha in the aftermath of the BJP’s routing. Elsewhere in London, Britons of Indian-origin are also preparing to protest against the BJP government’s policies and have managed to project the words “Modi not welcome” onto the Parliament building on November 8, days ahead of Modi’s arrival there on November 12. The Awaaz Network — the umbrella organisation of these Indians — plans similar actions to protest “the unleashing of a violent authoritarian agenda that seeks to undermine India’s democratic and secular fabric”. Many Pakistani TV channels lunged at this, out of sheer sadistic pleasure. They also went into an overdrive to applaud the electoral snub that the BJP received in Bihar. Why should our government and media draw pleasure out of this? Is it really worth paying this much attention when we have plenty of things to worry about at home? Pakistan needs to focus more on the causes that continue to taint its image abroad and are a source of internal discord as well. Although the government claims improvement — also backed by statistics — yet most of Fata and parts of Balochistan remain embroiled in conflict. Much of this stems from Pakistan’s own skewed policies that for decades encouraged...

Pakistan to hand over 2,281 Acres of Gwadar’s Free Trade Zone to Chinese

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark ceremony, Pakistani authorities will formally hand over 2,281 acres of Gwadar Port’s free trade zone to the Chinese Oversees Ports Holding Company Ltd (COPHCL) on November 11 on a 43-year lease. The ceremony will be held in Gwadar on Wednesday and will be attended by the Chinese delegation headed by Vice Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission Wang Xiaodao, who has already arrived in Pakistan. Ripe for investment: Vast opportunities in AJK The Chinese delegation comprises of all top level officials of the Chinese government and leaders of private companies. The Pakistani delegation will be led by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal. The event will also be attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik and Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Kamran Michal, said a senior official of the ministry.The government has already declared Gwadar port a free trade zone for the next 23 years. The officer said that in this regard, a high level meeting of both authorities will be held in Karachi on November 12 to complete the formalities. COPHCL will execute the port’s affairs through its three main companies including Gwadar International Terminal (GIT), Gwadar Marine Services Ltd and Gwadar Freezone Company Ltd. Grand scheme: Govt to spend Rs26b on Gwadar airport upgrade GIT will also be responsible for the port’s operations by handling business related matters. Gwadar Marine Service Ltd, will look at the port’s operation by providing allied services and Gwadar Freezone Company will look after affairs of the free zone area by developing and providing allied facilities to the investment companies in the free zone area. After the formal handover of the free trade zone, all business affairs of the port will be carried out by Chinese authorities. The officer said that Pakistan has delivered its end of the bargain and now it is upto the Chinese authorities to show their commitment. Additionally,...

Pakistan to hand over 2,281 Acres of Gwadar's Free Trade Zone to Chinese

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark ceremony, Pakistani authorities will formally hand over 2,281 acres of Gwadar Port’s free trade zone to the Chinese Oversees Ports Holding Company Ltd (COPHCL) on November 11 on a 43-year lease. The ceremony will be held in Gwadar on Wednesday and will be attended by the Chinese delegation headed by Vice Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission Wang Xiaodao, who has already arrived in Pakistan. Ripe for investment: Vast opportunities in AJK The Chinese delegation comprises of all top level officials of the Chinese government and leaders of private companies. The Pakistani delegation will be led by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal. The event will also be attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik and Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Kamran Michal, said a senior official of the ministry.The government has already declared Gwadar port a free trade zone for the next 23 years. The officer said that in this regard, a high level meeting of both authorities will be held in Karachi on November 12 to complete the formalities. COPHCL will execute the port’s affairs through its three main companies including Gwadar International Terminal (GIT), Gwadar Marine Services Ltd and Gwadar Freezone Company Ltd. Grand scheme: Govt to spend Rs26b on Gwadar airport upgrade GIT will also be responsible for the port’s operations by handling business related matters. Gwadar Marine Service Ltd, will look at the port’s operation by providing allied services and Gwadar Freezone Company will look after affairs of the free zone area by developing and providing allied facilities to the investment companies in the free zone area. After the formal handover of the free trade zone, all business affairs of the port will be carried out by Chinese authorities. The officer said that Pakistan has delivered its end of the bargain and now it is upto the Chinese authorities to show their commitment. Additionally,...

Sabawoon Showcase: Importance of Agriculture and the Insaaf Food Security Program

November 9, 2015, Peshawar: The Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship radio program Sabawoon’s latest episode was about the importance of agriculture and the Insaaf Food Security program (IFS). The IFS is an initiative taken by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to help farmers through a variety of interventions. The discussion in the program was about free seeds distributed to the farmers, the role of kissan (farmer) councilors in agriculture, transparency in seed distribution, wheat production in KP, marketing of vegetables, and the role of monitoring/advisory services by the agriculture department. The IFS has faced political interference in the past, which was also a part of the discussion. The program aired on Monday under the theme of “Jarga Marraka” (public dialogue). Two guests took part in the program, Mr. Qiyas Bahadur, Director General, Agriculture Extension, KP and Mr. Aziz Buneri, a senior journalist. A report from Charsadda highlighted the programs central theme. The report shared views of the district Nazim of Charsadda, farmers and locals about the distribution of seeds under the IFS of the KP government. Fahad Khan, District Nazim, Charsadda said, “It is a good initiative taken by the KP government, but we still need to provide the farmers more seeds and other facilities.” Six callers took part in the live program. They appreciated the KP governments initiative and requested to make the seed distribution transparent. They also said that this should be extended to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). A caller on the show, Hussain Afridi, said, “This program will help the farmers in improving agriculture production but this is limited to KP only. FATA is mostly dependent on KP for agricultural products so it would ease the buden on KP if this is extended to FATA.” Another caller, Hanif Khan, said, “The government should make the food distribution system transparent and it should be without political...