Conspiracies against CPEC to be resisted: Shahbaz

ISLAMABAD: The Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, on Monday said the government’s decision to freeze the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is unjust, as the multibillion project is a game changer not only for Pakistan, but for the region as well.

In a tweet, Shahbaz said the people of Pakistan were shocked at the irresponsibility of the PTI government. His tweet came after a report, quoting Advisor to the PM on Textiles and Industry Abdul Razak Dawood, in the Financial Times claiming that Pakistan is considering reviewing the CPEC agreement with China.

Shahbaz said the government should avoid freezing the CPEC, as it is a gift for Pakistan that will benefit business activities in the country and raise the growth rate. “First it announced in the media to raise the tariffs of gas and electricity and now it has been decided in the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet to defer its decision. The government should tell what kind of impression it wants to give to the people,” he said. “We will resist and reject every conspiracy against the project; our Chinese friends should rest assured,” Shahbaz said.

Earlier, he visited the opposition leader’s chamber in Parliament, where renovation of the chamber was going on. Shahbaz personally paid all the expenses being incurred on its renovation.

Geo adds: PML-N leaders Mushahid Hussain and Ahsan Iqbal also voiced their criticism of the PTI government’s decision following the Financial Times report. Ahsan Iqbal said what he had read in the report was disappointing, as China trusted Pakistan and invested billions of dollars when no one was ready to put in even $10 in the country’s economy. He said the rulers lacked the capability to make mature decisions benefiting the country.