Ambassador Khalid hoists national flag to mark Independence Day in China
The messages of the President and Prime Minister were read out by the ambassador.
BEIJING (APP) - Pakistan Ambassador to China Masood Khalid Tuesday hoisted national flag to mark the 71st Independence Day of Pakistan here at the Pakistan Embassy.
The event began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. The National Anthem was played. The messages of the President and Prime Minister were read out by the ambassador.
Addressing the Pakistani community, Ambassador Khalid said the all-weather friendship and strategic partnership between Pakistan and China was progressing well. Both the countries were enjoying comprehensive and pragmatic relations and China had emerged as a reliable neighbour and partner of Pakistan.
He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a reality and benefits of that flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) were visible. It had ushered in a new era of economic development in Pakistan.
“We have overcome the shortage of electricity while a number of infrastructure projects are being completed in different parts of the country,” he added.
He said around 70,000 locals had also got employment owing to the ongoing development projects under the CPEC. The GDP growth rate remained 5.9 per cent, highest in the last nine years, because of investment from China, he added.
Ambassador Khalid informed at present over 25,000 Pakistani students were studying in different universities of China. Pakistani students, he added, were among the top recipients of Chinese scholarships.
He said the CPEC was a long-term plan and expressed the confidence that as it moved forward, it would bring prosperity and peace in Pakistan as well as the region.
He pointed out that the enemies and opponents were hatching conspiracies against the corridor and Pak-China relations but both the countries were fully aware of it and would jointly frustrate all the nefarious designs.
He also mentioned that Pakistan had recently successfully completed the political transition which was a milestone in its history. As a result, there would be stability and development in the country, he added.
While congratulating the Pakistan community in China on the auspicious occasion, he urged them to take pride in being citizens of an independent nation.
He also urged them to play their role in promoting friendship between the two countries and contribute to the development and prosperity of Pakistan.
Ambassador Khalid also asked them to contribute in the fund established for the construction of two mega dams in Pakistan as the dams were imperative for the country’s development.
The ceremony was attended by the representatives of three services, senior diplomats, educationists, students and a large number of Pakistani and Chinese community.
Students of Pakistan Embassy College Beijing (PECB) attired in colourful dresses presented a number of national songs and regional songs.
At the end of the ceremony, the ambassador mingled with the students and people, and exchanged Independence Day greetings with them.
