Asim Saleem Bajwa, a retired Lieutenant General of the Pakistan Army, resigned from his position as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority chief on Tuesday.
In his resignation, he thanked the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan for their support.
“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,” he said in a tweet.
Bajwa will be replaced by Khalid Mansoor as the chief of the authority. Mansoor was most recently serving as the Chief Executive Officer at Engro Chemical Pakistan Limited, since 2013.
He was also serving as the CEO of Engro Fertilizers, Engro Powergen and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company since 2008. Prior to that, he was the chief executive of the Hub Power Company Limited (HUBCO).
Mansoor also has experience working closely with Chinese companies and banks, one of the reasons why his appointment is being seen as a measure to reassure the Chinese of Pakistan’s commitment to the bilateral project.
Context
Lt Gen (retd) Bajwa was appointed as CPEC Authority chairman back in November 2019, and subsequently, in April 2020 PM Imran Khan appointed him as his special assistant on information and broadcasting.
However, on October 12, PM Imran Khan had relieved Lt Gen (retd) Bajwa of his additional portfolio of SAPM on information and broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar thanked Bajwa for his services in moving CPEC forward and playing a vital role in broadening the project’s scope.
The federal minister welcomed Mansoor to the team as SAPM for CPEC Affairs. “His 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.”
