Pakistan pledges to push CPEC to its apex

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan attaches utmost priority to the promotion of socioeconomic development and industrial cooperation as a focal point for the apex bilateral forum of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and sabotage attempt cannot deter the project from thriving, a minister said on Monday.

“However, these detractors cannot change our resolve on this mega cooperation. Their evil designs were bound to be defeated,” Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, the federal minister for planning, development, and reform said in a meeting with Ambassador Yao Jing at the Chinese embassy.

“The attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi was a conspiracy to sabotage the CPEC.” Condemning the dastardly terror attack, Bakhtiar said the whole nation was standing in support of Pakistan-China relations and the cooperation in the shape of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“A thorough investigation is being carried out to apprehend the perpetrators their financiers, planners, and facilitators,” the minister assured the Chinese ambassador. A statement said both side expressed their agreement to continue to work together and firmly move forward

with the CPEC by further strengthening and expanding its base.

Expressing Chinese government’s condemnation over the attack, Ambassador Jing appreciated the quick, prompt and effective action of Pakistan’s security and law enforcement agents, who sacrificed their lives to protect the Chinese consulate.

“The terrorist attack was an attempt to disrupt Pakistan-China relations and harm the CPEC,” the Chinese envoy said stressing that their brotherhood was clad in iron and such cowardly attacks could not affect it.

To this the planning minister said the government was fully committed to providing foolproof security to Chinese nationals in Pakistan and the CPEC projects all across the country. “The two countries will continue to cooperate to thwart the designs of hostile forces against their times' tested friendship,” Bakhtiar said. The statement said both sides also reviewed the progress on the CPEC projects and the status of preparation for the upcoming Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting scheduled next month.