Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that during the 70-year history of Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed, but a very small number of them have been materialised. However, he said, the speed at which the agreements were signed between Pakistan and China during the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan in April 2015, have been implemented upon, has surprised the whole world.
The CM said that like the first international seminar, the second international business seminar, being held in Lahore, has proved very successful from every respect and that 400 industrialists and investors coming from 26 different countries of the world, have signed agreements worth billions of dollars for investment in different sectors of the province.
By the grace of Allah, the CM said, Pakistan will continue to progress at an enhanced speed. He added that under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif the country would continue to prosper.
CM expressed these views while addressing the final session of the 2nd international seminar on investment opportunities in the Punjab at a local hotel today. On the occasion, more than 60 agreements and MoUs of international investment in the Punjab were signed. Provincial Ministers, Diplomats, Consul Generals of China and Turkey, members of the parliament, chief secretary, investors from 26 countries of the world, and local traders and industrialists attended the seminar.
The CM said that holding of the 2nd business seminar in Lahore is an honour for him. He said that an international business seminar was held in Lahore in 2015 as well, during which different agreements and MoUs were signed, and the aluminium project was set up in Faisalabad as a result of that.
CM said that Pakistan’s largest coal power project is going to be inaugurated after 48 hours, and the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shall formally inaugurate this 1320MW project. An investment of 1.8 billion dollars has been made on it, and it has been completed in a record – short – period of time under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The foundation stone of this project, he said, was laid on the 31st of July 2015 and now 660MW electricity generated by this project has been added to the national grid.
He said that the political and military leadership has provided best possible security to all of the CPEC projects. The Punjab government has set up a special protection unit which has been providing security to CPEC related projects and other important projects, on its own. He told the investors that their security is his responsibility. “You are our brothers and you will get the same security which has been provided to me. Let’s invest in Punjab because tremendous potentials of investment are available in the province” he said.
The CM said that the investors of China, Turkey and other countries are given a VVIP status, and they are provided with every facility in the Punjab. The IMF, World Bank, Moody’s and other international institutions are acknowledging the improved economy in Pakistan; while the economy of Pakistan has been termed as the one that is emerging, he said.
“I am happy that the investors, attending the seminar, have shown their commitment and confidence in the province” he said. He added that our friends also ask for “more” but they demand “more” only for improvement in healthcare and education facilities, in order to make Pakistan a welfare state.
The CM thanked Pakistan’s ambassadors to China, Turkey and other countries.
Ambassador of China to Pakistan, ambassador of Turkey to Pakistan, Chinese and Turkish Consul Generals, concerned provincial ministers, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, secretaries of the concerned departments and officials of Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, for successful holding of this seminar, and said that they have jointly worked as a team to make the holding of this seminar a success. Chairman P&D Jehanzeb Khan also spoke on the occasion.
