-Gives an exclusive interview to China Media Group
-Expresses satisfaction over the progress on CPEC
-Lauds China’s constant support to combat COVID-19
-Stresses on CPEC’s importance for Pakistan’s economic uplift
By Liu Chang
For Pakistan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not only about connectivity, linkages of road infrastructures and solving energy crisis, shortages, but also about helping Pakistan to push forward and pace industrialization of the country, according to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In an exclusive interview with China Media Group on Monday, the Prime Minister has highlighted that CPEC is extremely crucial for Pakistan. “At first, it was just a question of a road linkage, and then about the energy projects, but now CPEC for us means a lot of different things,” PM Imran Khan said.
The Premier expresses satisfaction over the ongoing projects under CPEC and aims to further boost the work on all the projects for early completion of the second phase of CPEC. “Apart from this connectivity increasing, we have developed the Eastern route, and now we are developing the Western route to Gwadar,” He added.
PM Imran Khan underscored Pakistan’s need to industrialize, which is also the key point of the second phase of the CPEC, adding that industrialization could provide young population employment and create wealth in Pakistan.
“We have to create wealth to pay back the loans which we have taken that debts of the country accumulated in the last 10 years, and so therefor wealth creation is only taken place when we industrialize,” Imran Khan has highlighted.
The Premier also emphasized on the government’s plan for establishing nine Special Economic Zones across the country which will increase Pakistan industrial capacity at global level. Earlier, this year in September, an agreement on the Rashakai Economic Zone under the CPEC was signed, attracting many Chinese industries with special incentives.
Similarly, the government believes that all the other SEZs will attract foreign firms for investments. “Therefore, it is pertinent that the government with China’s cooperation timely complete establishing all the Special Economic Zones for the country’s economic development,” said PM Imran Khan.
Talking about the Special Economic Zones and industrialization, the Prime Minister said that China also has this massive industrialization program, especially in the last 30 years. With that industrialization, China employed its people and lifted its people out of poverty, which is a miracle. “China has made marvel in lifting out its people from poverty, this miracle was possible with firm dedication, hard-work,” added PM Imran Khan
Another aspect of the second phase of CPEC encompasses on Agricultural cooperation. PM Imran expressed hope that Pakistan could cooperate with China to increase agricultural productivity because agricultural productivity has progressively grown over a period of time in China. “Pakistan has also to learn from China’s experience in boosting agricultural productivity,” said Premier Imran Khan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also thanked China for its assistance to Pakistan to fight against coronavirus. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in Pakistan, China has altogether sent seven batches of medical supplies as well as two teams of medical experts to Pakistan to help with the control effort against the pandemic.
The Prime Minister said, “China’s help was vital to us, and China’s experience of fighting against coronavirus was significant for us because we learned from that experience. Pakistan is the one country that came out of the crisis much better than other countries. If China had not helped us, I don’t think we could have dealt with it, as well as we did.”
Similarly, The President of Pakistan Arif Alvi in his exclusive interview with China Media Group said that because of China’s help and PM Imran khan’s good policies, the COVID-19 did not disturb the CPEC progress. “China’s consistent support and PM Imran Khan’s right policies effectively halted the pandemic crisis. Due to which the work on CPEC didn’t disturbed and the progress continued,” said President Arif Alvi.
Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, many achievements have been made under the umbrella of CPEC. Among them, Matiari to Lahore 660kV HVDC Transmission Line Project was completed. Several Green and Clean energy projects such as Kohala Hydropower Station and Patan Hydropower Station have signed franchise agreements. The second phase of the Karakoram Highway Upgrading project has been opened to traffic, which further enhances the transport network in Northwest of Pakistan. The Orange Line rail transit project was operated in Lahore, bringing Pakistan into the “Metro Era.”
Besides, some environmental protection and livelihood projects, such as the expansion of The Gwadar Faqeer School, the China-Pakistan Friendship Forest, disaster relief aid, and donation of cold-chain vaccine storage and transportation equipment, have been completed on schedule during the Pandemic.
–The Daily Mail-CRI news exchange item
