India may consider joining CPEC, says high commissioner

ISLAMABAD: India may consider joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which will attract investment from China as well as other parts of the world, Pakistan high commissioner to Singapore said. 

Pakistan’s High Commissioner Nasrullah Khan, speaking at a seminar at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said the country is committed to seeking better ties with India, and looks forward to working closely with the Indian leadership to promote an environment of trust and friendship. 

“Improving relations with our neighbours, particularly India and Afghanistan, is in our own national interest,” Khan said in a statement on Thursday.

He said roads and railways infrastructure under CPEC will integrate Pakistan with the regional countries, which will result in generating economic boom by integrating Pakistani markets with central Asia, Middle East and other parts of the world. The investment on the corridor will transform Pakistan into a regional economic hub and it will be confidence booster for investors.

The envoy said the country has continued to grow and prosper. “The remarkable growth that Pakistan’s economy has sustained for the last few years is underpinned by dynamism in industry, agriculture and services, supported by strong growth in domestic demand,” he added. “Government has taken a number of policy measures to boost economic activities in all the major sectors of economy.” 

Khan said the country’s enabling and secure environment has also revived confidence of the investors at local and international levels. The uptick in economic growth placed Pakistan on the radar as a future investment destination. Morgan Stanley Capital International, the US equity indices provider, included Pakistan Stock Exchange in its benchmark emerging-market index that is likely to attract multimillion dollars of portfolio investment in the Asia’s best performing market. 

The high commissioner said women empowerment and providing equal opportunities to them is a priority for the government. “Today, women are playing important roles in the development of the country and hold important positions in every field.”