Shehbaz asks India to shun CPEC hostility

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday urged India not to create hurdles in the way of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), stressing that it would benefit the whole region, including Iran, Afghanistan, the Middle East and beyond.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office to commemorate the completion of 10 years since the start of the multibillion-dollar project, the prime minister vowed to double the pace of the development projects under CPEC.
CPEC, a flagship mega project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – a brainchild of Chinese President Xi Jinping – was signed in Pakistan during the Xi’s visit at the invitation of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Prime Minister Shehbaz vowed to double the pace of work as CPEC was not only meant for improving roads, rail, seaports and air routes, but it would also help in health, education and skills development areas.

“CPEC is a beautiful plan to connect not only regions and areas but also people’s hearts,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said. “CPEC will have positive impacts on the people’s living standards in the region,” he added.

The CPEC project had been seen with suspicion in India, as the country is not on good terms with its two neighbours – Pakistan and China. The project is seen with hostility after Narendra Modi of the Bhartya Janata Party (BJP) became the prime minister.

On Tuesday, the joint statement issued at the conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit meeting said that all the members, barring India, supported the BRI to connect China with Asia and Europe and beyond.

Earlier in May, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar – host of the SCO foreign ministers meeting – had accused China of being an “expansionist”, calling CPEC an encroachment on Indian sovereign land.

However, Shehbaz asked India to benefit from CPEC, instead of creating obstacles in its way. He said that the enemies of CPEC were against peace, development, and prosperity in Pakistan and the region, as they did not want eradication of poverty.

He regretted that during the four years of the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, hurdles were created in the way of the project. He said that CPEC encompassed multiple projects.

Later, addressing a ceremony to mark a 10th anniversary of the signing of CPEC, he said that the mega project helped in Pakistan’s progress. “CPEC is all about a story of hard work and untiring commitment between the leadership of Pakistan and China,” he said.

“On July 5, 2013, we witnessed the memorable signing ceremony of CPEC, where President Xi Jinping and [then] prime minister Nawaz Sharif inked the milestone accord,” the premier said.

Terming CPEC a “transparent” project, he said that so far $25.4 billion investment had been made in various projects, while thousands of Chinese and Pakistani workers worked day and night to create a history of goodwill between the two sides.

The prime minister thanked China for supporting Pakistan, especially when it awaited the staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He hoped that the agreement would be given final approval during IMF’s board meeting on July 12.

He pledged to fulfil the conditions of the IMF which were earlier violated by the previous government. “We need to work hard and save the poor people from inflation. Affluent need to play a role in this regard,” he said.

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

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)