CPEC to guarantee socio-economic uplift: minister

LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani has said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will prove to be a game-changer not only for the two countries but also for the whole region and will guarantee socio-economic development of Pakistan.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of international conference on “CPEC: Political, Economic and Social Perspectives” organised by the Punjab University Department of History & Pakistan Studies on Monday, the minister claimed the time would come when 1 dollar would be equivalent to 2 Pakistani rupees.

Raza Ali Gilani said the success of this historical project would also bring the overseas Pakistanis back to their motherland with honour and grace. He added the completion of CPEC and Gwadar Port would boost economic activities in Pakistan. He said CPEC was multidimensional project with its road links linking all the provinces and territories into a close-knit economic unit. He added in 2004, the government had conducted a study which suggested that the money collected through toll from the route only would be equivalent to the total budget of Pakistan at that time. He said another finding of the study was Pakistan would witness rapid economic growth and Pakistan’s two rupees would be equivalent to one dollar. He said Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif had envisioned a stronger and highly prosperous Pakistan and we could see actualisation of their vision through CPEC.

PU Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Taqi Zahid Butt announced the establishment of CPEC Integrated Study Centre at the university. He said this centre would serve as a platform for gathering and dissemination of important evolving and the latest information about the development relating to CPEC. He said it would also serve as a catalyst for developing ever-closer ties between Pakistan and China through frequent exchange of scholars, researchers, academicians and specialists in related areas.

Dr Shahid Soroya said CPEC was an opportunity as well as a challenge. He said there were two important challenges in CPEC project i.e. provision of skilled force and development of human resource. He said PHEC had taken up these issues seriously and would set up technology universities and PHEC was signing MoUs with Chinese universities for exchange programmes. Prof Dr Zhu Qinbao said: “We would discuss important academic issues in the conference and efforts were being made to enhance cooperation between the great neighbours. We need to advance practically and work collectively in the fields of archeology, culture, history, etc.” Dr Razia Sultana said Pakistan and China said CPEC would not prove an East India Company rather it must be understood as a game-changer for Pakistan.