Governor lauds China role in Pak development

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Ghulam Ali on Friday lauded China for always standing by Pakistan and launching China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which will bring about economic development to the country.

He said this while speaking as a chief guest at a ceremony arranged in the China Window — a Chinese Cultural Centre - in connection with the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Muhammad Ishaq, Bishop Ernest Jacob, newly elected president of Peshawar Press Club Arshad Aziz Malik and people from other walks of life turned up at the function.

Addressing the ceremony, Governor Ghulam Ali said that Pak-China relations are higher than the Himalayas, sweeter than honey and deeper than the sea.

“These are not just words but feelings of every Pakistani. The main reason for this is the mutual relationship spanning over seven decades which has brought the people of the two countries closer to each other and strengthened the bond of friendship,” he added.

The governor said China has supported Pakistan in every situation. “Today, although we are facing a difficult economic situation, but the economic plan that China has started as CPEC will usher in a new era of economic development in Pakistan,” he hoped, adding this cluster of projects will stabilize the Pak economy.

Ghulam Ali said that although the pace of work on CPEC was slow during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his team are trying their best to speed up the pace of work so that its fruits reach the people as soon as possible.

He congratulated the Chinese diplomat, government and people of China on the occasion of their New Year and said that the China Window has provided us with an opportunity to share this happiness.

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong in his online address said the New Year celebrations are a big festival for the Chinese people which is marked not only in China but all over the world. He said China has become the second-largest economic power in the world.

The envoy said China wants economic and economic development in Pakistan. He said China has completed 47 projects under the CPEC with an investment of 25 billion dollars, while in the next phase, the development of industries in Pakistan and increasing its export competitiveness will be done through cooperation in the fields of industry, agriculture, science and technology.

SCCI President Muhammad Ishaq, Bishop Ernest Jacob, Peshawar Press Club President Arshad Aziz Malik and others spoke on the occasion as well.