Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a game changer, not only for Pakistan but the whole region.
“China is making a historic investment of $52 billion under the CPEC in Pakistan, and we are thankful to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and the Chinese people for their trust in Pakistan’s future. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) which called on him, here on Saturday.
“The speedy completion of CPEC related projects is our priority, and these projects will change the destiny of the nation,” the chief minister said. He said that the Chinese investment, to the tune of billions of rupees in Pakistan, had created innumerable job opportunities for the people of Pakistan. The CPEC would also play its role in alleviating poverty and eliminating terrorism and fanaticism. “The people of all four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir will benefit from CPEC projects,” he added.
“CPEC will alter the course of Pakistan’s history,” he said.
Different projects including energy, infrastructure, Gwadar Port, and industrial cooperation are included under the CPEC umbrella and speedy work is being done on them. Solar, coal and hydel energy producing plants are being set up under the CPEC which will help cope with the current energy crisis in Pakistan. The chief minister said that Pakistan’s economy would be strengthened and that a new era of socio-economic development would begin due to the CPEC.