Pakistan replaces Asim Bajwa as head of CPEC: Dasu blast effect

Islamabad, Aug 3 (UNI) A fortnight after nine Chinese workers were killed in a blast at Dasu prompting China to suspend work on a key hydropower plant linked to the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, the Pakistan government on Tuesday replaced retired Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa as the authority to lead the affairs of the corridor project.
A notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said that Khalid Mansoor had been appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs with immediate effect. The appointment will be in an honorary capacity, Dawn reported.
Bajwa announced his departure in a tweet, saying Mansoor was “fully equipped” to lead the authority in the future.
“I bow my head before Allah Almighty for giving me an opportunity to raise and steer the important institution of CPEC Authority as one window for all CPEC projects, charting the future direction,” Bajwa said, adding that his work “wouldn’t have been possible without [the] full confidence and support” of Imran Khan and his government.
“The course is set for future progression of CPEC, this journey will go on. My best wishes to Khalid Mansoor sb, who is fully equipped to take it forward.”
Bajwa termed CPEC as a “lifeline for Pakistan”, saying it would “transform us into a progressive and fully developed country”.
Following the July 14 bomb blast in a shuttle bus at Dasu area of Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in which nine Chinese personnel were killed, Beijing had not announced new dates for a meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee, the top decision-making body of CPEC, that was earlier scheduled for July 16.
China also stopped work on the 4,320-MW Dasu Hydropower project, being built on the Indus river, and has sent a team to investigate the explosion. The dam was being developed by the Wuhan-based construction company, Gezhouba Group Co. Around 466 Chinese, 22 foreigners and 2,500 plus Pakistanis are working at the Dasu project.
In an effort to placate Beijing, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had visited China last week to meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, where he condemned the Dasu blast and said that no one will be allowed to sabotage the Pakistan-China relationship.
On Tuesday, Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar welcomed Mansoor as the special assistant to the prime minister for CPEC affairs.
Mansoor’s “vast corporate experience, with extensive work with Chinese companies and his direct involvement in leading some of the biggest CPEC projects makes him an ideal person to lead the next phase of CPEC”, Umar said.
The government had appointed Bajwa as chairman of the CPEC Authority in November 2019 amid the opposition’s criticism over formation of the authority.
He was also appointed as special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting in April 2020. He stepped down from that position in October last year following massive corruption allegations.
Bajwa had served as Commander Southern Command before his retirement from the army. He remained director-general of the Inter-Services Public Relations from 2012 to 2016.
Khalid Mansoor has more than 32 years of experience in the energy and petrochemical sectors in leading roles for mega-size projects’ development, execution, management and operations. He recently re-joined the board of the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) as a director, according to his profile available on Engro Energy’s website, Dawn said.
Mansoor, who holds a degree in chemical engineering, served as the chief executive of the Hub Power Company Limited (Hubco) and is the chairman of Laraib Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Hubco.