TAHIR AMIN

ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique Wednesday announced that Chinese financing of over $8 billion for Pakistan Railways (PR) under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not be accepted if it does not offer favourable conditions.

“Due to political instability in Pakistan, China was hesitant and disturbed in the recently held 7th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meetings,” said Rafique, adding that China was earlier offering soft loans but now it is talking about mixed loans. The PR needs a long-term loan with a longer grace period at a rate of less than 2 percent. If China is not giving it at certain level and favorable conditions, Pakistan Railways will not take over $8 billion under the CPEC agreement, thus pushing the PR back by 30-40 years.

Despite repeated attempts made by Secretary Railways Parveen Agha to stop Rafique from issuing such a statement publicly, the minister expressed these apprehensions before the Senate Standing Committee on Railways.

Rafique said that economy and national interests are badly damaged due to the prevailing situation in the country.

About the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project under the CPEC, the minister said, “We are fully supporting it while standing shoulder to shoulder with the government of Sindh.”

Briefing the committee, DG Planning Railways Mazhar Ali Shah said that the Railways with its own resources has completed the feasibility study and preliminary design of Main Line (ML-1) to be upgraded under the CPEC.

He further briefed the committee about the railways projects planned in Balochistan under the umbrella of the CPEC and they include linking Gwadar with Mastung via Basima (960km) and Basima with Jacobabad through Khuzdar (300km).

Linking Gwadar with Mastung via Basima and Basima with Jacobabad through Khuzdar is a long-term project envisaged for 2025-2030. In this regard, a feasibility study of both routes is being undertaken. The study is at an advance stage. Upon completion of feasibility study, the PC-Is will be prepared for seeking approval from the competent forum.

Various land parcels required for the implementation of the said project have been identified under the aforesaid feasibility study. At present, acquisition of land at Gwadar is in the progress. In this regard, 285 acres for Railway Container Yard and 73.68 acres for right of way (ROW) have since been acquired under the approved PC-I (Rs1332.502 million). Approximately, 200 acres of additional land for railways station and container yard, besides 27.350 acres for right of way, are being acquired under another PC-I (submitted to Ministry of Railways) for which Rs5 million have been allocated by the Planning Commission during the current financial year 2017-18.

Regarding the acquisition of land from Gwadar to Mastung via Basima and from Basima to Jacobabad via Khuzdar, a PC-I amounting tentatively Rs5 million is being submitted for approval by the Planning Commission and Rs400 million have also been allocated during the current financial year 2017-18 for project activities.

It is further added that the existing railway line from Rohri to Kohi-Taftan via Quetta, including the realignment of Sibi-Spezand section (1022km) and rail link from Quetta to Kotla Jam (538km), is also being upgraded. This line is called as ML-III which will be used for exploitation of full capacity of Gwadar port and anticipated traffic from China after establishment of the CPEC.

The railways minister alleged that Lahore High Court did not provide justice in the Royal Palm Club case and the same has not been decided by the Supreme Court so far.

The ministry said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have transferred almost all of PR properties on its name but Sindh and Punjab are reluctant and they have moved the court against these provinces.

The Finance Ministry is said to have given a guarantee for paying Rs13.4 billion on behalf of Etisalat on account of the Railways land given to PTCL/Etisalat at Chaman.

The committee also discussed the issue of 34 acres of railways land transferred by DC in favour of the DHA. The committee directed for presenting the inquiry report about the DC involved and asked the chief secretary Punjab and senior member Revenue Punjab to attend the next meeting and brief the committee.