Pakistan, China set to conduct 14th JCC Meeting in July

Pakistan, China set to conduct 14th JCC Meeting in July as the Planning Minister conducted a meeting to review progress on CPEC.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, presided over a high-level review meeting on the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The session was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi, the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and senior officials from various federal ministries, including Foreign Affairs, Interior, Communications, Economic Affairs, Petroleum, Commerce, Food and Agriculture, Science and Technology, and Maritime Affairs. Representatives from the Board of Investment and other key provincial and federal institutions were also present.

During the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in connecting Gwadar to the national power grid. He instructed the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) and the Power Division to provide an updated progress report within five working days regarding the city’s electricity supply.

Additionally, he raised serious concerns about the non-operational desalination plant in Gwadar, stressing the urgent need to ensure clean drinking water for residents. He directed authorities to resolve the issue within a week. The meeting also noted that under the socio-economic development initiative, agricultural equipment and demonstration stations were delivered in September and December 2024.

Furthermore, 10,000 solar panels were provided in May 2024, followed by an additional 5,000 in September 2024 as part of a grant-in-aid program. Drinking water supply equipment, including 150 water filtration plants and 10 solar-powered tube wells, arrived in August 2024. However, the distribution and installation of this equipment had not yet been completed. Expressing concern over the delays, Ahsan Iqbal directed the Ministry of Food to devise a comprehensive distribution plan within three days.

He also instructed the Ministry to coordinate with provincial governments and submit a formal plan within two days on how the equipment would be utilized effectively.

Regarding the ML-1 railway project, the Minister directed Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Beijing and the Economic Affairs Division to engage with Chinese authorities and finalize a date for the visit of technical and financial experts to Pakistan.

On the framework agreement for New and Emerging Technologies (NET) between Pakistan and China, Ahsan Iqbal assigned the Ministry of Information Technology to lead discussions and oversee its implementation.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for the 14th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting, with China confirming its support for holding the session in July 2025. Additionally, all working group meetings have been scheduled for March and April to ensure thorough preparations ahead of the JCC session.