CPEC is property of all provinces, regions, says Shahbaz

Those spreading rumours proved wrong; inaugurates computer lab at Pakistan Embassy College in Beijing

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework was a property of the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir and it was equally beneficial to the 200 million people across the country.

Shahbaz inaugurated a computer lab at Pakistan Embassy College in Beijing, with all the computers donated by the Punjab government.Addressing the students and faculty members, he said those spreading rumours about CPEC had been proved wrong. “CPEC is a project of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. CPEC is a project of 200 million people of Pakistan,” he noted.

He said that the chief ministers of the four provinces had given a collective message by attending the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, that “we are united for the development of Pakistan”.

The chief minister stressed that there might be differences, but politics should not be done at the cost of development and prosperity of the country. CPEC was a property of the people of Pakistan and being protected by the people of Pakistan, he added.

He said the CPEC agreements were signed in April 2015 and many of those had set new world records with regard to speed, quality and transparency. “Many projects have been completed, while others are near to completion; and work is in progress day and night on others.”

About the computers, he said, He said, “I am hopeful that you will benefit from the latest trends of knowledge through these computers.”The chief minister said One Belt, One Road was a giant leap towards making the world a global village, adding that it did not aim at supremacy of any country and stood for a collective effort for achieving a unanimous goal.

“This project is a commitment to take along the nations left behind in the journey to development.”Separately, the chief minister held a meeting with the president of Export Import

 Bank of China (Exim Bank), Liu Liange, and said CPEC was the most vital part of the One Belt, One Road initiative, adding that the positive impacts of One Belt, One Road would be felt at the international level.

“This project is the reflection of political acumen and futurist approach of the visionary Chinese President Xi Jinping, which would help a number of countries to come nearer to each other, ushering in a new era of development, prosperity and peace,” he added.

About the Orange Line, the chief minister said every effort was being made to complete the project swiftly. Due to some legal complexities, there had been a delay at some points, but every effort would be made to remove the backlog as soon as the court permission was granted, he vowed.

He said quality, transparency and fast-track completion had been ensured in the projects initiated in collaboration with China in Pakistan, especially in the Punjab.He said every penny received from China was being utilised as a sacred trust.

Liange said the Punjab government had come up to the expectations of Chinese financial institutions with regard to quality, speed and transparency.“We feel fully secured and satisfied about the projects having involvement of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, because he is known for completing work well in time, and he has also proved this thing with his actions,” he noted.

On the occasion, Shahbaz presented an album of photographs showing development on different development projects in Punjab.An agreement on governmental soft loans was also signed for Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite Project between the Ministry of Finance and the Exim Bank of China.

A delegation led by the president of NORINCO, China Railways, also called on Shahbaz Sharif in Beijing and discussed the progress made in the Orange Line project.High quality work was being maintained in civil works of the project which would be a great masterpiece of architecture, transparency and quality, the chief minister said.

It would prove as a game changer project for providing latest, speedy and economical international standard transport facilities to the common man, he added.Shahbaz also met with a delegation of Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology led by its director, Luv Min, during which they agreed to extend cooperation in industry and information technology sectors.

A delegation of famous energy group of China, TBEA, also showed its interest for further investment in energy sector.The chief minister visited the headquarters of famous Chinese group Huaneng in Beijing, where the group chairman, Cao Peixi, held a luncheon in his honour.

On the occasion, Shahbaz thanked him and his team for working speedily on the 1320-MW Sahiwal Coal Power Plant.In a meeting with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) President Gu Shu, both sides discussed ways and means for enhancing investment in energy, infrastructure, and other sectors.

Separately, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liquin assured the chief minister of providing of resources on priority basis for the projects initiated with the Chinese cooperation.

In another meeting, the internationally acclaimed economist of Peaking University Prof Justing Yifullin said Shahbaz had played a leading role for the development of Pakistan, especially Punjab.