{"id":3223,"date":"2023-09-12T06:45:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T06:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/shehbaz-asks-india-to-shun-cpec-hostility-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-09-12T06:45:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T06:45:08","slug":"shehbaz-asks-india-to-shun-cpec-hostility-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/shehbaz-asks-india-to-shun-cpec-hostility-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Shehbaz asks India to shun CPEC hostility | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

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.<\/p>\n

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) \u2013 a brainchild of Chinese President Xi Jinping \u2013 was signed in Pakistan during the Xi\u2019s visit at the invitation of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cCPEC is a beautiful plan to connect not only regions and areas but also people\u2019s hearts,\u201d Prime Minister Shehbaz said. \u201cCPEC will have positive impacts on the people\u2019s living standards in the region,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The CPEC project had been seen with suspicion in India, as the country is not on good terms with its two neighbours \u2013 Pakistan and China. The project is seen with hostility after Narendra Modi of the Bhartya Janata Party (BJP) became the prime minister.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Earlier in May, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar \u2013 host of the SCO foreign ministers meeting \u2013 had accused China of being an \u201cexpansionist\u201d, calling CPEC an encroachment on Indian sovereign land.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Later, addressing a ceremony to mark a 10th anniversary of the signing of CPEC, he said that the mega project helped in Pakistan\u2019s progress. \u201cCPEC is all about a story of hard work and untiring commitment between the leadership of Pakistan and China,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn 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,\u201d the premier said.<\/p>\n

Terming CPEC a \u201ctransparent\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s board meeting on July 12.<\/p>\n

He pledged to fulfil the conditions of the IMF which were earlier violated by the previous government. \u201cWe need to work hard and save the poor people from inflation. Affluent need to play a role in this regard,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Chinese Charge d\u2019Affaires Pang Chunxue were also present at the ceremony.<\/p>\n

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n