BEIJING: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, MakhdoomKhusro Bakhtiar has hoped that one of the nine special economic zones underthe China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would start its commercialoperation by the first quarter of 2019.
“The two sides also are exploring the possibility expedite the growth ofthe manufacturing sector in Pakistan,” he said told China Daily.
The minister who visited Beijing to head the Pakistani delegation to theeighth Joint Cooperation Committee meeting of the CPEC, said the corridor,part of the Belt and Road Initiative, first proposed by the two countries’leaders five years ago, included a variety of infrastructure projects suchas roads, railways and oil and gas pipelines from Gwadar Port to Kashgar inthe Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s full commitment to the BRI, of whichCPEC was a signature project.
He said that ensuring the safety of Chinese nationals and businesses wasone of the priorities of Pakistan, and the nation’s special securitydivision could be further reinforced.
The minister said the two countries needed to broaden the corridor’s baseand hasten its pace and added, the two sides had maintained frequenthigh-level exchanges since Imran Khan became prime minister in August.
One of the major consensuses reached between the two countries was addingmore areas, such as social and economic development and agricultural andindustrial sectors, to the CPEC agreement.
“We have seen a lot of milestones achieved in early harvest projects,especially in the energy sector,” he said.
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The minister for planning said Chinese companies’ investments had helpedPakistan solve the problem of energy deficiencies.
“People across Pakistan, including policymakers, value the role andsignificant contribution that the CPEC has made toward the present andfuture economic growth of the country,” he said.
One focus of the Pakistani delegation will be on increasing bilateralcooperation in the agricultural sector and poverty alleviation in Pakistanunder the framework of CPEC, he said.
“It will have far-reaching impacts, especially in the less developed areasof Pakistan,” he said.
Regarding the attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi last month, hesaid, it would only strengthen the resolve of China and Pakistan to taketheir relations and the CPEC.
The minister said the perpetrators of the’ incident obviously did not wantthe CPEC to grow “But such cowardly attempts only further strengthen ourresolve to take our bilateral relationship and the CPEC to new heights,” headded.
