China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will go on despite bumps in the road, analysts say

Opposition leaders in Pakistan are calling for the removal of CPEC authority chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa following allegations of corruption

Beijing does not like any politicisation of the CPEC, so the issue is unhelpful, observer says

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Corruption allegations against Asim Saleem Bajwa, chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority, are unlikely to derail the scheme, observers say. Photo: Facebook

Published: 6:00pm, 26 Sep 2020Updated: 6:00pm, 26 Sep 2020

A campaign by opposition politicians in Pakistan to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan and the official in charge of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Islamabad may cause some disruption but is unlikely to derail the multibillion-dollar scheme, analysts say.

Opposition party leaders on Sunday launched a joint campaign to unseat Khan and CPEC authority chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa, following allegations of corruption against the retired lieutenant general and his family.

The allegations against Bajwa, who is also an adviser to Khan, suggest a deeper problem for China’s relationship with Pakistan, said James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“China has had a preference for dealing with the military in Pakistan, rather than the raucous political parties,” he said.

“While the charges need to be judged on their own merit, they call into question the solidity of the military’s position.”

Among those calling for Bajwa to go is former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who lives in exile in London and has accused the military of interfering in Pakistan’s political affairs.

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