IslamabadAfter a decade of the launch of the China -Pakistani economic corridor (CPEC) and the following 78 review meetings, it is still clear that Jawadar, the focus of this initiative, which is worth billions of dollars, is still struggling with the absence of the basic infrastructure, especially the reliable clean and electrical water.
The last meeting of the progress review in CPEC, which was held on Tuesday, chanted the same concerns that were expressed in the previous meetings: the lack of meaningful progress despite the repeated efforts, with the determination of the new final dates again. The meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister of Planning, the best turnout, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the continuous delay in linking Jawadar to the national electricity network in Pakistan. He was directed by Quetta Electric Supply (Qesco) and the Energy Department to submit an updated report within five working days.
Two months ago, at the last review meeting, Iqbal called for the compliance report within one week to ensure the delivery of GWADAR and its free area to the national network. GWADAR is currently dependent on electricity imported from Iran, a situation that highlights the wider policy failure in the distribution of electricity. Despite the surplus of electricity in Pakistan, the country spends more than 2.1 trillion rupee on the wrong capacity fees while struggling to create an effective transmission infrastructure.
At the January meeting, Iqbal had issued instructions to Qesco and the Energy Department to work closely with the Pakistani Port Authority and the Pakistani Navy to quickly provide electricity to the port of Jawadar and the South Free Zone. However, many of these issues are still unlawful, and the latest review showed little progress.
In another worrying development, the turnout raised concerns about the non -operating water desalination factory in Guadar, stressing the urgent need for sustainable supplies of clean drinking water. He directed immediate action during the week to treat the water crisis.
China has already provided great assistance, including 10,000 solar panels in May 2024 and 5,000 additional panels in September, as well as drinking water supply equipment, including 150 filtering factories and 10 tube units. However, these materials have not been distributed or installed yet, pushing IQBAL to demand the development of the Ministry of Food a comprehensive distribution plan within three days.
While Pakistan initially imagined the port of Jawadar as a center for moving, the failure to provide basic facilities has impeded its development. Although CPC initially advanced smoothly until the meeting of the Seventh Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), progress has been stagnated since 2017, as six other meetings failed to achieve concrete results.
The last meeting also focused on preparations for the next JCC 14 meeting, to be held in July 2025, with the March and April working group meetings to ensure preparation. Iqbal stressed the importance of these preparatory meetings, especially in the areas of safety, security, science and technology. He also urged Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Beijing to work closely with the Chinese authorities to ensure visits by technical and financial experts in a timely manner to resolve continuous issues, especially with the Karachi-Hydadabad section in the first line project (ML-I).
Despite these efforts, the basic challenges of insufficient infrastructure are still an important obstacle to the transformation of GWADAR into a prosperous economic center.
