Debate on electricity tariff hike deferred again amid opposition protest
PHOTO: APP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Monday passed three bills amid noisy protests from opposition lawmakers but an adjournment motion for a debate on electricity tariff hike was postponed again despite being on the day’s agenda.
The session began with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. During the Question Hour, the house was informed that the total debt of Pakistan was Rs21,400 billion in 2016-17 which increased to Rs36,900 billion by September 2020.
After the Question Hour, the legislative process began, but the opposition members rose from their seats and started raising slogans. Amid the noisy, Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Babar Awan introduced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Bill 2020 and the Public Private Partnership Authority Bill 2020, while Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Zain Qureshi tabled the Pakistan One-Window Bill 2020.
LAHORE: Pakistan is preparing a plan to include agriculture sector projects in the Chinese-funded corridor building framework, it was learnt on Friday.Ministry of food security initiated the.
CPEC: Pakistan army to gain control of $60 billion Belt & Road projects
Sun Online Desk
15th December, 2020 09:40:17
Pakistan recently cleared a bill in Parliament that will virtually give the powerful army sweeping control over the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects while diminishing the role of the civilian government. The proposed law has caused discomfort in the opposition ranks and sparked concerns over the possible implications of establishing a parallel government . Here s what the proposed law means and why it s controversial:
Who s calling the shots?
In 2019, the Imran Khan government had passed an ordinance to establish the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA) for timely execution of big-ticket CPEC projects. It was widely speculated that CPECA was established to please China, which had expressed dismay over the slow progress on the CPEC front and wanted the army to get directly involved. Not surprisingly, Prime Minister Imran
Imran Khan
A bill passed in the Pakistan parliament that hands over near-absolute control to its armed forces regarding the $60 billion worth China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, thus greatly reducing the government’s importance in it.
This new bill has caused immense unrest among the opposition and the prospect of a parallel government existing alongside the official one, or worse, a coup by the military, similar to what happened in the past. The Pakistani armed forces are constantly becoming more powerful in the country’s internal politics, if not militarily.
A mandate to establish the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority or the CPECA was passed by Imran Khan-led Pakistan government in the year 2019. This authority was established to ensure timely execution of CPEC projects.
CPEC: Pakistan army to gain control of $60 billion Belt & Road projects
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This story is from December 14, 2020
CPEC: Pakistan army to gain control of $60 billion Belt & Road projects
Armaan Bhatnagar / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Dec 14, 2020, 20:12 IST
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NEW DELHI: Pakistan recently cleared a bill in Parliament that will virtually give the powerful army sweeping control over the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects while diminishing the role of the civilian government. The proposed law has caused discomfort in the opposition ranks and sparked concerns over the possible implications of establishing a parallel government . Here s what the proposed law means and why it s controversial: