Shehbaz Sharif appoints Chaudhry Salik Hussain as new CPEC Authority chief

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on has appointed Chaudhry Salik Hussain as Federal Minister and Chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority.

Chaudhry Salik Hussain, a lawmaker from the government ally Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam), replaced Khalid Mansoor as the CPEC Authority chief.

Salik Hussain is the son of former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. In a statement after his son’s appointment, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that his son decided to take charge as federal minister and CPEC Authority chairman on his advice.

He said that the PML-Q would not compromise on national security because “for us Pakistan is first and foremost.” “Overcoming challenges is a priority, while tolerance and elegance are our way,” he added.

Earlier in the day, three Federal Ministers and one Minister of State took oath at a ceremony at President’s House in Islamabad.

President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to the ministers. Federal Ministers including Mian Javed Latif, Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Agha Hassan Baloch while Muhammad Hashim Notezai took oath as minister of state.

The CPEC Authority was established through a presidential ordinance to oversee and implement various CPEC projects. It was placed under the Planning, Development and Reform Division in the previous government.

Earlier, new planning minister Ahsan Iqbal took the first briefing on the state of CPEC affairs, and the startling disclosures surfaced as around 37 percent of the installed capacity of the CPEC power projects was out of order due to non-payment of dues to Chinese investors.

Total receivables of the 10 Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have soared to Pakistani Rs 300 billion, out of which the overdue amount are Pakistani Rs 270 billion. Three imported coal-fired power plants have closed one of their two units due to the non-availability of the fuel.