Roundtable discussion: Unity stressed to foil conspiracies against CPEC

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a roundtable discussion here on Friday said that certain anti-state forces were conspiring to undermine the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which was a project of the development for the country.

The roundtable titled “CPEC: Opportunities and Challenges” was organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Peshawar, in collaboration with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad here.

The discussion was chaired by Professor Dr Zahid Anwar, former director of the China Study Centre at the University of Peshawar.Other speakers included Professor Dr Adnan Sarwar, a former chairman of the International Relations UoP; Professor Dr Ghulam Qasim Marwat, Chairman of the Pakistan Study Department at Qurtuba University; Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Khalil, chairman of IRS; Engineer Azizul Haq; and Professor Dr Fazal Rahman Qureshi. They said it was an era of economic development in which regional cooperation played a fundamental role.

The speakers pointed out that the European Union, Association of South East Asian Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) served as excellent models for the success of CPEC and the Belt and Road Initiative.

They emphasized that China was a time-tested friend of Pakistan, and the investments it was making in Pakistan through CPEC demonstrated its practical friendship.It was stressed that the conspiracies being hatched by hostile forces to derail CPEC need to be understood, and the nation must set aside its differences to thwart these malicious intentions. The speakers noted that presently, 20,000 Pakistani students were pursuing higher education in China, which was a testament to the strong friendship between the two nations.

They said China had always stood by Pakistan during tough times, in contrast to the United States, a long-time ally, which had deceived Pakistan on several occasions, including imposing economic sanctions.

The speakers said the Peshawar-Kabul Motorway was part of the CPEC.They said those who argue that Pakistan should soften its trade policies along the eastern and western borders fail to grasp the realities on the ground and the nefarious intentions of adversaries.

It was suggested that while engaging with China, cultural and social differences should be acknowledged, and mutual efforts should be made to bridge these gaps.

The speakers recommended that in addition to the lengthy and unnatural north-south CPEC route, the natural east-west corridors, of which there were more than 18, should also be opened for trade purposes.

They emphasized that instead of focusing on security and geopolitics, the promotion of bilateral relations should prioritize economic and trade objectives and mutual interests.The discussion concluded with a Q and A session.