CPEC’s first phase to be completed by 2020: FO

–Spokesperson says Pakistan supports OIC resolution regarding Trump’s Jerusalem decision

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal on Thursday said that the first phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be completed by 2020 while the entire project would be functional by 2030.

During his weekly press briefing in Foreign Office, Dr Faisal said that Pakistan and China regularly monitor the progress of these projects, adding that the decision to bring more projects and highways under CPEC would be taken by the two countries with consensus.

Reiterating Pakistan’s support to the Palestinian struggle, spokesperson Faisal said that Pakistan fully supports the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) resolution regarding voting in the UN over the issue, adding that Pakistan’s vote [on the issue] will be principled.

Commenting on the matter of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jhadav, he informed that visas have been issued to the wife and mother of Jhadav and their meeting would take place in Islamabad on December 25.

“The meeting between Jhadav and his family will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said while responding to a query.

In a further comment on the issue, he said, “There has so far been no decision on the implementation of the spy’s death sentence.”

He said that the exclusion the list of terrorists from recently-held Heart of Asia (HoA) conference statement has given Pakistan a major win at the diplomatic front. “The list was used by India for propaganda purposes against Pakistan”, he added.

Replying to another question, he said that that Indian malicious design has caused the dysfunctionality of the Indus Water Treaty.

Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to humanitarian issues, he said these issues should not be politicised. In this regard, Pakistan has decided to release two hundred and ninety-one Indian fishermen in two phases on humanitarian grounds, with the first phase on 29th of this month and the other on the 8th of next month, he remarked.

Highlighting Pakistan’s role in reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said that Pakistan has established three tertiary care hospitals in three different cities of the country. Pakistan is also imparting training to medical staff and sixty-nine Afghan health professionals completed their training this year, he added.

Expressing concerns over the rise of Islamic State in neighbouring Afghanistan, Dr Faisal said that Pakistan has repeatedly raised serious concerns about the escalating presence of ISIS and apprised the US and the Afghan government of the development as well.

The territories not under control of the Afghan government are being used for terrorism in Pakistan, said the spokesperson, adding, “We have conveyed our reservations to Afghanistan in this regard and expect that it will take some concert steps regarding the matter.”

Rubbishing the Indian Supreme Court’s decision of not abolishing Article 370, Dr Faisal emphasised that the fate of Indian occupied Kashmir is not subservient to the orders of Indian courts but to the UN resolution in the matter.

He said that Indian atrocities on innocent Kashmiris continued unabated this week as well, which resulted in the death of four people, along with continued house arrest and illegal detention of Hurriyat leadership.

Commenting on the Yemen-Saudi conflict, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan strongly believes that a political solution to the ongoing Yemen crisis is the only way to ensure regional peace and stability, as he condemned the recent missile attack on Saudi Arabia.