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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi would oversee the all China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and related matters.

Informed sources told Business Recorder the Prime Minister has appointed Sartaj Aziz as Deputy Chairman Planning with the status of a federal minister, however the Prime Minister has kept the portfolio of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms as well as the Chairmanship of the Planning Commission with himself.

Soon after the Prime Minister stated he took oath, he stated that, “CPEC projects are our government’s highest priority and I am personally supervising progress of hallmark projects be it infrastructure, energy, railway or other sectors.”

Ahsan Iqbal was the Minister of Planning, Development and Reforms as well as Deputy Chairman Planning Commission during the Sharif administration.

According to sources, the objective of Prime Minister Khaqan Abbassi in retaining the portfolio of the Planning Commission is to ensure timely completion of the CPEC projects. They added that Secretary to the Prime Minister, Fawwad Hassan Fawwad, is behind this move as he wants the Prime Minister to control CPEC projects. When this newspaper contacted Deputy Chairman Planning Sartaj Aziz by phone for his views on the matter he said that “it is not an appropriate question to ask about developments or change in CPEC projects”. According to informed sources Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, chaired a high level meeting of Planning Commission in the Ministry of Interior on August 11, 2017, which was attended by Secretary Planning and other senior officials during which preparations for ‘Pakistan Development Summit & Expo’ scheduled for Thursday (today) at Pak-China Center Islamabad was discussed. A photograph of the meeting is available with Business Recorder.

Special Assistant to the Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Asim Khan Niazi confirmed the meeting, saying it continued for 20 minutes.

According to him, that Ahsan Iqbal has said that he will no more look after the affairs of Planning Commission as he is now the minister for interior. However, he said that Pakistan Development Summit & Expo will be held in accordance with its previous schedule.

When contacted Asif Sheikh, Advisor for Federal Budget Development Planning, said the Planning Commission is continuing the same policy on CPEC projects as adopted by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former minister of Planning Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal. He said that the Planning Commission is aggressively involved in the implementation of CPEC projects.

Ahsan Iqbal had two designations during the Sharif administration as well: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms as well as Deputy Chairman Planning.