KARACHI: Sindh Planning and Development Minister Mir Hazar Bijarani has said that the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is not an economic aid, but a long-term investment in Pakistan.
Under the CPEC, China would invest $62 billion for the development of infrastructure and energy, he said in his speech at the inauguration ceremony of three-day international conference on CPEC at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Convention centre, University of Sindh Jamshoro, said an official statement issued here.
He stressed that the CPEC is a game changer not only for Pakistan but for the entire region. The project will usher in a new era of development and progress in Pakistan, he added.
The minister said that this multi-billion dollars project will bring an economic boom in the shape of trade and investment. The CPEC will create job opportunities for the youth of Balochistan and introduce them to modern technology and innovative skills, he added.
He said that the Gwadar International Airport and special economic zones (SEZs) will further enhance the strategic and economic potential of Balochistan.
The minister viewed that the CPEC route would pass through under-developed parts of the country, and it will also provide greater economic benefits and opportunities to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
The CPEC would not only attract tourism and foreign investment but also help Pakistan overcome energy shortages, he said.
The conference was also attended by Planning, Development and Reform Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Senate Committee on CPEC Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain and Sindh University Vice Chancellor Jamshoro Dr Fateh Muhammad Barfat.
