PM Shehbaz asks India to benefit from CPEC project rather than becoming stumbling block

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PM Shehbaz asks India to benefit from CPEC project rather than becoming stumbling block

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday asked urged arch-rival India to take advantage by joining the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project instead of creating hurdles in its way.

He said the CPEC project flourished under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif as 10 years ago the PML-N started it with China, adding the government would implement the project it signed in 2013. 

Addressing a ceremony here to mark a decade of the signing of the CPEC, Prime Minister Sharif said the CPEC MoU was signed in 2013. "Nawaz Sharif, along with the Chinese president, started the CPEC journey under which several development projects were launched. Engineers and workers worked hard day and night to make the CPEC successful." 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the ceremony as the chief guest while the Chinese charge d’affaires and Chinese and Pakistani officials also participated. 

Sharif said Pakistan and China were iron brothers. He said China supported Pakistan in every difficulty and he had no words to express gratitude for that. He said his government, soon after regaining power, revived the CPEC. 

He accused the PTI of completely ignoring the corridor project and violating the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

Regarding the late deal with the IMF, he said China helped Pakistan financially in difficult times. Saudi Arabia and the UAE also lent support to Pakistan, he said. 

The prime minister said the IMF agreement had given Pakistan an opportunity to move forward. He said the Pakistan government was determined to fully comply with the IMF conditions. 

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, chargée d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad Ms Pang Chunxue, and federal ministers cutting a cake marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of the agreement for CPEC.@CMShehbaz pic.twitter.com/JN1IHtNNpF

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) July 5, 2023

Sharif said some people wanted Pakistan to default but now he was not seeing any such posibilty. “We have to save the poor people of Pakistan from inflation,” he said. He asked philanthropists to come forward and support the government in regaining the country's lost position. “We will work hard to make Pakistan a self-reliant country,” he said.

He said the CPEC played a key role in transforming the development landscape of Pakistan with the launch of several multi-billion dollar projects. He said the mega project helped Pakistan progress in the region and the world.

PM Sharif said the country ushered in a new era of development with the completion of hundreds of projects under the umbrella of CPEC, including coal-fired power plants, the Orange Line Mass Transit Project, and road infrastructure. “The CPEC is all about a story of hard work and untiring commitment between the leadership of Pakistan and China,” he said. 

Sharif recalled that in July 2013, then prime minister Nawaz Sharif visited Beijing where he signed an agreement pledging to develop a long-term plan for the CPEC. “On July 5, 2013, we witnessed the memorable signing ceremony of CPEC, where President Xi Jinping and PM Nawaz Sharif inked the milestone accord,” he said. 

Describing the CPEC as a “very transparent” project, the prime minister said the Chinese government and companies made investments of $25.4 billion in various projects. He said thousands of Chinese workers along with their Pakistani counterparts worked day and night to create a history of commitment and exuberance of goodwill between the two sides.

He commended President Xi for his unstinted support for the CPEC and the well-being of the people of Pakistan. He also highlighted the dedication of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and his team including Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, entrepreneurs and skilled workers. 

Following the IMF deal, he said, Pakistan was secure after averting default. “We need to work hard and save the poor people from inflation. Affluent need to play a role in this regard,” he said. He pledged to fulfill the conditions of the IMF which were earlier violated by the previous government.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Chinese Charge d’Affaires Pang Chunxue were present.