Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Kashmir Committee Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi said on Saturday evening that Pakistan and Afghanistan can march forward on the “vehicle” of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Speaking to the participants of Pak-Afghan Youth Jirga (tribal assembly) under the aegis of Pak-Afghan Youth Forum here, Afridi said Iron Brother China had provided a chance to the developing neighbours to move forward.
“Pakistan and Afghanistan are twin brothers who lived, grew and fought together against enemies and invaders. Now, we need to march on path of peace and development together. Youth is the key to regional development and prosperity and CPEC is the vehicle. Let’s join hands,” he said.
Afridi, who is also a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) said Afghanistan should catch the CPEC development train as it was contributing massively to the development of Pakistan.
Previously, Afridi had said that Pakistan and China had decided to expand the scope of CPEC as the world’s first drug-free corridor by linking safety modules with Russia, Iran, Tajikistan and other regional trade routes.
Afridi said Prime Minister Imran Khan had vision to make CPEC a drug free route. Pakistan’s role as frontline state against drug trafficking and terrorism was recognized by the whole world, he added.
He said China had always been helping out the suffering humanity. “The way how China has helped WHO (World Health Organisation) and other significant global initiatives is a model for the world.
China-Pakistan friendship has become a classic example of good neighborhood and friendship. The way China fought COVID-19 is exemplary for the whole world,” he said.
Afridi said once the epidemic turned into pandemic, China again started to play a leadership role in helping the world mitigate the disease.
