ISLAMABAD: The Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Sun Weidong has said that his country highly appreciates the support of all Pakistan political parties including PTI to CPEC.
Sources on Wednesday said that the Ambassador hoped that the consensus on the level of the government and the political parties would be a source of strength in pushing forward their socio-economic partnership to a new height. He said CPEC is meant to serve socio-economic interest of Pakistan across the board. All the regions including those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will benefit from it, the Chinese ambassador added. The sources said the ambassador also introduced the specific projects undertaken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, making it clear that the passage going through western part of Pakistan to Gwadar is definitely part of CPEC. He hoped this can help clarify the basic facts about the CPEC. It is consistently stated by the Chinese side that the CPEC is an important consensus reached by the Chinese and Pakistani governments. Both the federal and local governments of Pakistan could make close consultation and coordination on CPEC planning and construction. Sources said the Ambassador stated that as a close and sincere friend of Pakistan, China hopes to see Pakistan achieve stability, development and prosperity.
His country, he added, will support its Pakistani brothers within its capacity for their better future.
On November 12, 2015, the 5th meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC approved the principle of “One corridor with multiple passages”, aiming at directly benefiting the socio-economic development of Pakistan, especially the western and north-western regions and providing effective connectivity to Gwadar Port.
The Monographic Study of Transport Plan, approved in 5th JCC, clearly mentions that Burhan-DI Khan-Quetta-Sorab section will provide much needed connectivity between major connection points of CPEC and will connect the western areas of Pakistan. —INP