Retired Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa was on Tuesday replaced by Khalid Mansoor as the authority to lead the affairs of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
A notification issued by the Prime Minister's Office said 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, it added.
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," he said, adding that his work "wouldn’t have been possible without [the] full confidence and support" of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government.
“I bow my head before Allah Almighty for giving me an opportunity to raise & steer the important institution of CPEC Authority as one window for all CPEC projects, charting the future direction. Wouldn’t have been possible without full confidence and support of the PM & his Govt,” he said in a tweet from his official handle.
He also expressed best wishes for Kahlid Mansoor, who has been appoineted as the new CPEC Authority chief by the PTI government.
“Khalid Mansoor sb is fully equipped to take it forward. CPEC is life line for Pakistan, it will transform us into a progressive and fully developed country InshaAllah,” Bajwa wrote.
Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar thanked Bajwa for his services in moving CPEC forward and playing a vital role in broadening the scope of the multi-billion dollar project.
“His dedication and commitment was a source of great strength and support,” said the minister in a tweet.In another tweet, Umar said newly-appointed SAPM Mansoor’s vast corporate experience along with extensive work with Chinese companies and his direct involvement in leading some of the mega Chinese projects “makes him an ideal person to lead the next phase of CPEC”.
The federal government in November 2019 notified the appointment of Bajwa as the first chairman of the CPEC Authority.
The authority was established through a presidential ordinance in 2019 for coordination, monitoring and evaluation to ensure implementation of CPEC-related activities.
The former DG ISPR, who also served as commander Southern Command, was appointed for a period of four years.
