Chinese Consul General Yu Boren met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday.
The Pak-China relations, pace of projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and situation in occupied Kashmir were discussed in the meeting.
The Chinese consul general appreciated the pace and standard of the ongoing CPEC projects in Punjab and expressed the hope that it would be completed within stipulated period so that people of Pakistan could benefit from them at the earliest. He said that the speed of work on CPEC projects is highly satisfactory and Chief Minister Shehbaz was taking personal interest in the implementation of these projects expeditiously.
He said the credit for speedy development of Punjab goes to the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Shehbaz while Chinese investors are making large investment in different projects in the province. He said the standard and speed of implementation of development projects under the leadership of Punjab chief minister is unprecedented, and added the pace of implementation of projects in Punjab is even faster than China.
Yu Boren further said Chief Minister Shehbaz was equally popular in Chinese leadership and people as he was in Pakistan and he was the man of action of Pakistan in the real sense. He said Shehbaz had practically proved this fact and Pakistani people as well as leadership and people of China are endorsing it.
He also congratulated the chief minister on his birthday. He said that it was a coincidence that the birthday of Shehbaz was being celebrated at time when Pakistan and China are commemorating 65 years of their relations. Yu Boren felicitated Chief Minister Shehbaz and prayed for his long life and health. He also presented a bouquet and a cake to him.
The consul general invited the Punjab chief minister to a ceremony to be held on the National Day of China. Boren said China was with Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir and there was no justification for atrocities against unarmed Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir. He said the Kashmir issue should be resolved in the light of aspiration of the Kashmiri people. He also assured Chinese support to Pakistan in case of any aggression.
Chief Minister Shehbaz said China was extending commendable cooperation to Pakistan in its progress and prosperity. He said timely completion of CPEC projects would be ensured as it would change the destiny of Pakistan. The completion of these splendid projects would usher in an era of development and progress in Pakistan, he said added the evil designs of the enemy against CPEC project would not be allowed to succeed.
Referring to situation in occupied Kashmir, the chief minister said India should resolve Kashmir issue instead of subjecting innocent Kashmiris to brutalities. He said the Chinese support to Pakistan on Kashmir issue was a victory of the principled stance of Kashmiris. India should give up its stubbornness and pay attention to a just solution of Kashmir problem, he further said, and added Pakistan would continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people.
The chief minister also thanked the Chinese consul general for his good wishes.
