IPP inquiry report not made public due to relations with China: Asad Umar.

ISLAMABAD -- Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that China had agreed to resolve the issues pertaining to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Energy projects through bilateral mechanism.

In an interaction with media, Asad Umar said that Pakistan had taken up the issue of IPPs with China through bilateral forums and they were ready to discuss it. Replying to a query regarding delay in making public the enquiry commission report on Independent Power Projects (IPPs), he said, "the report was not made public due to sensitivity of relations with China.

The minister said that work on the ML-I railway project would start formal construction of the project by first quarter next year and would complete it in nine years. He said that China had offered about 85pc financing for the project while Pakistan wanted China's financing share to be increased to 90 percent. He said that work on three Special Economic Zones would be started this year. Work on Rashakai Special Economic Zone in Khyber Pakhtukhwa, Bostan SEZ in Balochistan and Allama Iqbal SEZs in Punjab would commence from this year.

The minister said that in the next year PSDP, Rs 77 billion had been allocated for CPEC development projects. He said that in Balochistan the big issue was of water shortage. We were initiating projects for the construction of Naulong and Wander dams to tackle the water crises in the province, he added.

Replying to a query, the Minister said, "I had a suggestion regarding Pakistan Steel Mills but...