Ahsan wants diplomats, EAD to work with Chinese on Main Line-1 technical, financial assessment.
ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal is frustrated by delayed progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor megaprojects.
Mr. Iqbal chaired a meeting on Tuesday to prepare for the July Joint Cooperation Council (JCC), CPEC’s main decision-making body.
The planning minister lamented slow progress on three key projects—grid connectivity to Gwadar, water desalination, and socio-economic development—that are vital to the port city.
The minister also remarked that officials had done little to advance the $10bn Karachi-Peshawar Railway Mainline (ML-1) project.
The minister ordered the diplomatic mission in Beijing and the Economic Affairs Division to work with Chinese officials to schedule technical and financial specialists to evaluate the project.
An official release quoted the minister, Pakistan’s CPEC focal point, as saying early coordination was needed to arrange the visit.
As ML-1 work stopped during PML-N’s 2013–18 government, the planning minister gave similar directions in October and December 2024.
Before the Chinese prime minister’s mid-October 2024 visit, the planning ministry pressed for financial agreement completion in the first week.
During a CPEC meeting on October 2, Mr. Iqbal encouraged the ministries of railways and finance to reach a funding agreement with China within a few days, according to a statement.
On December 6, the planning minister asked China to expedite its technical and finance teams’ travel to Pakistan to finish the first phase of the ML-1 project and develop two model special economic zones in Karachi and Islamabad.
Mr. Iqbal told the meeting he had urged the Chinese ambassador to send technical and finance teams to speed up consultations.
He remembered that the Chinese leader had promised to send a railway technical team to Pakistan in October.
Financial specialists and the technical team could help finance $1.1bn for the first phase of ML-1 between Karachi and Hyderabad.
After the December 6 meeting, an official statement said a team of finance experts would follow the technical team to efficiently resolve any project issues.
It stated that members of the economic affairs division and railroads and finance ministries were ordered to finish their homework so technical and financial issues could be completed simultaneously.
The envoy reportedly told the minister the technical team will visit Pakistan soon.
The minister complained about the delay in connecting Gwadar to the national grid for energy.
