ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Monday said bureaucracy and political tensions continue to damage China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Tension between provinces and lack of coordination among concerned ministries has increased anxiety among Chinese investors, he said. Hussain said that Panama papers, long absence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and political instability has left many Chinese nervous which is not good for the project.
In this scenario the government should consider establishing a new ministry to handle project related issues or think about handling over full or partial control of the project to Army which has ability to complete it in time, he said.
Pakistan cannot afford any delay in the game changer project which is critical for the economic development and national security, he said. Hussain said that if handing over CPEC to Army is not considered suitable then monitoring of the project should be entrusted to them.
He said that Chinese authorities have informed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Minister for Interior Affairs Chaudhry Nisar and others about their reservations.
Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has also called upon the politicians to shun differences in the larger national interest which indicate their frustration, he said, adding that hammering out things as soon as possible is in the interest of Pakistan. He asked political parties not to remain divided on this critical issue and try to facilitate things as this project in the interest of both nations.
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