Ahsan Iqbal calls for collective efforts to make CPEC successful
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HYDERABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal Tuesday underlined the need for collective efforts to make China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project a success and beneficial for the country.
The minister emphasized this while responding to a question during media talk after presiding the inaugural session of three-day long international conference on
"China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Political, Economic and Social Perspectives," organised by the Area Study Centre Fareast and Southeast Asia of University of Sindh.
He said that it was the successful achievement of the government in CPEC that the opponents are claiming the credit of the project while the country people were fully aware that which government had taken up the task for the betterment of the country.
The minister said that the government has incorporated almost all mega projects of the provinces in the CPEC and Sindh is the major beneficiary of this project where the plans of Keti Bandar and Karachi Circular Railway would be carried out besides Thar Coal Power Projects.
He, however said that Karachi-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorways are being carried out by the government from its own resources with objective to provide better communication system to the people of the province.
He said that the government has been engaged in combating terrorism and achieving economic success for the countrymen therefore there is the need that all should play their due role in this direction.
Replying to a question, the minister said that completion of power projects required three to four years and the projects which were launched by the government in the year 2014 would start power generation in the first half of the year 2018 or before, which would help in overcoming the issue of load shedding in the country.
He said that development projects were being completed in every part of the country with particular focus on Gawadar where the series of development schemes have been launched including the establishment of university.
The government has prioritised quality education and it was the reason that campuses of the universities were being established in all districts of the country, he said adding that the annual budget of the Higher Education Commission has also been doubled and the management of the University of Sindh has also been asked to submit proposals of the schemes so that the same could be incorporated in the development plans of the government, he added.
About the criticism of the opposition, the minister said that those who have been defeated in the bye-elections and local government elections have failed to find place in the field of politics therefore, they are raising the baseless issues. He advised the PTI Chief Imran Khan to wait till 2018 after that the nation would decide that who will rule the country. (APP)
