Zardari says he pioneered CPEC

KARACHI: Former President of Pakistan and Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said "we have placed ad in the history by pioneering the game-change CPEC and have no concern as to who is trying to take credit through advertisements in the media.

According to a statement issued by the PPP, Asif Ali Zardari was addressing the MNAs, MPAs, and Senators of the party after a briefing by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah about CPEC, with special reference to province’s share in the mega economic project.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro,former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Naveed Qamar also attended the briefing.

He pointed out that it was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who initiated this infinite concept and entered into dialogue with China and resolved borderline issue getting K2 for Pakistan with Chinese magnanimity.

"Several books are needed to cover the CPEC, whose imaginations go beyond thousand years and our future generations will continue to eat the fruits of this game-changer project.

More than 500 Chinese have completed Ph.Ds on Pakistan and now they are communicating in Urdu. “We have to give ownership to CPEC and every area being developed under this project is our own".

Asif Ali Zardari said he conducted his first-ever diplomatic visit as president of the country  to China to follow up the strong relations developed with the friendly country by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

“Shaheed Bibi also wanted a martial plan for our development and she planned 50,000 mw power projects but the same were scrapped because her governments were dismissed in the half of tenures,” he added.

He said that Turkey’s President Erdogan is thinking to enter into Currency-Swap agreements with other countries now "while we signed such agreements with China, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Iran a half-decade back".

Earlier in his briefing, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had stated in 1968 that it was only China which has the capacity and will to help Pakistan and he initiated the ground-work for CPEC, which has been pioneered by President Asif Ali Zardari through his diplomatic acumen and sagacity.