Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): The under-construction mega China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – the CPEC project will open new avenues of speedy socio economic progress and prosperity bringing the economic boom in Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, said Ch. Muhammad Saeed, AJK minister for Sports, Culture, MDA and MDHA.
“Azad Jammu & Kashmir State would also be one of the beneficiaries of the gigantic project since four projects have already been approved under CPEC – including Kohala and Karot Hydropower projects respectively in Muzaffarabad and Kotli districts, the Quadruple Expressway from Mansehra to Muzaffarabad-to Mirpur to Mangla and the already-approved 9th Special Economic Industrial Zone to be set up in Mirpur” , the minister while speaking as chief guest at the Annual General meeting of AJKCCI-turned-Mirpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry here Sunday night.
The AJK minister disclosed that the government of Pakistan has, under the Mangladam raising project, approved the grant of over Rs. 1.94 billion for the completion of the giant Mirpur-Islamgarh bridge over Mangla dam lake through the repute chinese construction company.
“It would be the largest state of the art over 2.50 kilometer long bridge over the scenic mega Mangla lake opening the new avenues of tourism, trade and industry through reducing the distance between the adjoining cities of Mirpur and Islamgarh, the abodes of millions of UK-based Kashmiris expatriates”, the minister underlined.
Ch. Saeed disclosed that the government has principally decided to complete the stagnant Rs. 7.00 billion mega projects of greater water supply and sewerage scheme through its resources. These projects, he underlined, were lying stagnant because of the massive corruption and bungling during the immediate past PPP-led AJK coalition regime of former Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed.
The outgoing President of the MCCI Ch. Murtaza, newly elected President Sohail Shujah Mujahid, acting FPCCI President Ch. Javed Iqbal, ex President Jammu Kashmir Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry Zulfiqar Abbasi, ex President Ch. Azeem Mushtaq, ex Executive Committee Member Khalid Chaudhry, ex SVP Khawaja Zaffar Iqbal, EC member Faisal Manzoor Ch., Secretary AJKCCI Muhammad Shafique Chaudhry and others also spoke on this occasion and highlighted the issues and bottlenecks in the way of industrial development in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
Highlighting the broad-based healthy prospects of the arrival of CPEC in Azad Jammu & Kashmir the minister Ch. Saeed continued that CPEC in AJK would not only be an opportunity for infrastructure development, energy and industry but also a catalyst for promoting ecotourism and establishing biological and wildlife corridors. Biodiversity sites along the Corridor will be preserved and developed.
Azad Jammu & Kashmir, he underlined, is ideal for eco-tourism because that too is an emerging industry. It is our responsibility to preserve our natural habitats with as much seriousness as we pursue industrialization”. “We are also striving to get a tourism corridor included in the framework of CPEC”, he added.
With the advent of the proposed Mirpur special economic industrial zone as an economic hub, Azad Jammu Kashmir would tap into the professional and technological experience of Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs, Ch. Saeed said.
Elaborating the salient features of the CPEC and its upcoming unprecedented impacts on socio-economic progress of AJK, the minister said “under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its affiliate – CPEC – China has undertaken to provide advanced and sophisticated technologies. The Governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir too would diligently make sure that this zone does not cause environmental degradation and in fact meets the highest environmental standards”, he added.
The government, the minister said, was exploring clean energy options in AJK. “Solar energy consumption is gaining ground and it is also necessary to identify wind corridors for generation of wind power or developing solar-wind hybrids”, he revealed.
Ch. Saeed emphasized the need of highlighting, adequately, the concrete measures which have been taken by Chinese and Pakistani planners and their corporate entities to incorporate environmental dimensions in CPEC’s land and marine projects.
He called for focusing to achieve the objectives of the project which we will have to develop an overall socio economic development culture. “The AJK Government, he said, is fully committed to doing so”, he added.
Earlier the outgoing President of the AJKCCI Ch. Murtaza referred to the laurels, the chamber earned during his last one year term in office towards the progress in industrial development in AJK in general and Mirpur particular. He also underlined the problems confronted by the local business community.
The newly elected MCCI President Sohail Shujah Mujahid unveiled his priorities to turn the Chamber into a vibrant institution for the speedy industrial development and progress of AJK in true perspective.
The Secretary MCCI Muhammad Shafique Chaudhry announced on this occasion the results of the unopposed elections of all the office bearers of the Chamber including its President Sohail Shujah Mujahid, Sr. Vice President Ch. Shoukat Mahmood, VP Wajid Rasool Mirpur and newly elected executive committee members of the Chamber.
