LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the multifaceted China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer for the economic development of the country, as China has made investments to the tune of billions of dollars in energy and other development projects in Pakistan under the CPEC. Timely completion of development schemes, as well as savings in predetermined expenditures, is a wonderful achievement of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) government. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of MNAs and MPAs belonging to different districts of the province, on Monday.
The chief minister said that many of the CPEC related initiatives have been completed with total transparency, speed and quality, while many others are nearing completion. The historic projects under the CPEC are symbols of Pak-China friendship. As a result of sincere efforts made by the government, many of the electricity producing projects have started generating electricity, he added.
The chief minister said that a total of Rs 165 billion have been saved in three major gas-based electricity producing projects. The speedy completion of development projects during the tenure of PML-N in Pakistan is an example for the entire world, he said. He said that not only Pakistan, but the whole region will benefit from the gigantic project of the CPEC; as a result of the completion of this important initiative, a new era of development and prosperity will usher in the whole of the region.
The CM further said that the CPEC will also result in eradication of the menace of terrorism and fanaticism from the region. Similarly, CPEC will also play an effective role in overcoming issues like poverty and unemployment. He said that this project will change the country’s destiny and added that we all should work collectively to make this essential project of national importance, a success.
The CPEC related projects are related to the whole of the country and the people of all the federating units including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir will equally benefit from them. He said that the Punjab government has promoted a corruption free culture and transparency in the province, and maintained that all the development schemes are an example of their own with regard to transparency, quality and speedy completion. The fruits of speedy development are reaching to the people in the province and due to the completion of mega projects, the masses are getting relief and various other facilities. He said that the people of Pakistan are its real asset and told that the journey of public service will be continued.
Similarly, the development of the social sector is our first priority and billions of rupees are being spent on the projects of education, healthcare and provision of clean drinking water to the people, concluded the chief minister.