Govt undertakes work on western route of CPEC: Murad, july 27, 2020
Shares
ISLAMABAD-:Minister for Communications Murad Saeed Monday said the government of Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI) undertook work on the western route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connecting Gilgit to backward districts in south of the country.
While taking part in a debate in the National Assembly, he said in its two years, the government constructed more roads than the roads built in the last two years of the previous government.
He said the opposition member Ahsan Iqbal should tell what was the role of Javed Sadiq in the road projects of the last government.
The framework agreement of CPEC was signed in 2015 then why in 2013 Ahsan signed the MOU for the Multan Sukkur motorway project, he asked.
He asked why the cost of Multan-Sukkur motorway escalated from Rs 242 billion to Rs 292 billion.
Ahsan Iqbal filed a case of defamation against him but the case was disposed off as Ahsan did not appear before the court, he added.
The minister said the information about the statement of witnesses who came before the Debt Commission should be made public.
He said the PTI government made motorways in Gilgit and more motorways will be built in Chitral, Chakdara and Upper and Lower Dir.
He challenged Ahsan Iqbal to come before Supreme Court so that he could prove that how loss of billions of rupees was caused to the national exchequer in the Multan-Sukkur motorway project.
He said his ministry did the feasibility of Kohat Dera Ghazi Khan motorway.
The contracts of horticulture were given by the Punjab government of Shehbaz Sharif to the brother of Ahsan Iqbal, he alleged.
He said the case of Multan Sukkur motorway was in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Prime Minister Imran Khan did not have time to answer to the defamation case filed by opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, he added.
While responding to the statement of Murad Saeed, Ahsan said the parliamentary committee on CPEC should determine whether the project of Chitral Dir Chakdara Road was included in the CPEC during tenure of PTI or PML-N government.
He clarified that the MOU signed in 2013 was not a tender for the Sukkur Multan motorway. But the MOU was about a Chinese company which wanted to do a pro bono non binding feasibility for Karachi Lahore motorway at no cost to government of Pakistan, he explained.
He said in the CPEC framework agreement signed in 2014, it was agreed that China will give names of panel of three companies for infrastructure projects.
The names of companies were suggested by the Chinese government and not by the government of Pakistan and the company which offered the lowest bid was given the tender for Multan Sukkur motorway, Ahsan added.
He said National Highway Authority and Ministry of Communications should be asked why they escalated the cost of the Multan-Sukkur motorway on the PC-I. Planning Commission headed by him did not made the PC-I, Ahsan further added.
Amjad Ali Khan said the government was willing to listen to the suggestions of opposition on economy and privatization.
MNA Riaz Fityana said enterprises going on loss like Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Steel Mills should be privatised.
