Asim Bajwa resigns, and Khalid Mansoor is named Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Issues

Retired Lt Gen Asim Bajwa was replaced as the authority to head the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s issues by Khalid Mansoor.

 According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Mansoor has been appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs.

According to Bajwa, who announced his departure in a tweet, Mansoor was “well ready” to lead the authority in the future.

CPEC is a “lifeline” for Pakistan, according to Bajwa, who claims it will “turn us into a progressive and fully developed country.”

Asad Umar, the Federal Minister of Planning, praised Bajwa for “pushing CPEC forward and playing a significant role in widening the CPEC scope with a transition to the second phase of CPEC.”

He congratulated Mansoor on his appointment as the prime minister’s special assistant for CPEC matters.

In November 2019, the government-appointed Bajwa as head of the CPEC Authority, despite opposition criticism of the authority’s creation. In April 2020, he named the prime minister’s special assistant for information and television. He left that post in October of last year. Before retiring from the army, Bajwa served as Commander Southern Command. In addition, he was the director-general of Inter-Services Public Relations from 2012 to 2016.

Khalid Mansoor, who is he?

Khalid Mansoor has over 32 years of expertise in the energy and petrochemical industries, where he has held leadership positions in the conception, implementation, management, and operations of large-scale projects. According to his profile on Engro Energy’s website, he re-joined Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC).

Mansoor, a degree in chemical engineering, was the CEO of Hub Power Company Limited (Hubco) and is now the chairman of Laraib Energy Limited, a Hubco affiliate According to his LinkedIn page, he was also the president & CEO of Engro Fertilisers Limited, Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), Engro Powergen Limited (EPL), and SECMC.

Mansoor’s “extensive corporate expertise, including substantial engagement with Chinese companies and direct involvement in directing some of the largest CPEC projects, makes him a perfect individual to manage the next phase of CPEC,” according to the statement.

Read more with EL news: China and Pakistan want the CPEC to be built to a high standard