LAHORE: A former president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday expressed grave concern at the controversy over the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, urging the government to start the project immediately.
Abdul Basit in a statement that the corridor will prove a game changer in regional cooperation.
He said that it is the duty of the government to save the project from controversies. Large mother ships will visit Gwadar port only if China routes its container cargo through the proposed corridor. He said the revenue that Pakistan would generate from transshipment though the corridor would help the government pursue development projects.
Abdul Basit said that the corridor, which will include railway lines, oil and gas pipelines, fibre optic cables, projects for energy resources and industrial parks, will bring prosperity to the most backward areas of the country. He said that rumour-mongering about changes in the route of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor is will cause undue delays in the implementation of this important project.
Abdul Basit said that Pakistan has already suffering badly because of the delay in the construction of the Kalabagh Dam.