CPEC will turn out a route to peace, prosperity: Pervaiz
Source : Pakistan Observer Date : 25-05-2016 By : Zubair Qureshi
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Islamabad—Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting & National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid has termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a harbinger of peace and prosperity in the region.
He said this while addressing a seminar on “Pakistan China Iron Brothers”, organized by the Minis-try of Information, Broadcasting in connection with 65th anniversary of celebrations of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China at the Bukhari Auditorium of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Pakistan) here Tuesday.
Minister for Planning & Development Ahsan Iqbal, Ambassador of China in Pakistan Sun Weidong, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, former Ambassador to China Masood Khan were among the key speakers on the occasion.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the convoys that would ply on the corridor project would not conquer other countries but help provide basic amenities of life to the people of the region. “This road of peace would sprout the springs of development in the region,” he added. He said Pakistan and China harboured no enmity towards any country and sought peace and friendship with all.
“Over the last 65 years, the relations between the two countries have grown from strength to strength despite changes in internal or external situation. This speaks volumes of the bonds between the two countries which are mooted in the will of the people,” he said.
He said there was a complete unanimity among Pakistanis irrespective of their political affiliations, profession or origin that China is sincere friend and a strategic ally.
While state relations are usually considered to be based on national interest – relationship between Pakistan and China is an example that inter-state relations based on understanding, mutual respect and people to people centered are enduring, he said.
The minister said that Pak-China friendship was not about the two people only, but it was relationship of over one billion humans. This friendship was beneficial not only to the people of the two countries but the entire region and the entire world.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said China Pakistan Economic Corridor project was a new milestone in 65 years of Pak-China relations.
He said the project had brought Pak-China relations from geo-strategic orbit to geo-economics orbit -the element which was ignored in the past. “Around three billion people of the region will accrue benefit from the corridor,” he said adding the CPEC had opened a new chapter in Sino-Pak. relations. The Minister said China has become the leading country in terms of foreign direct investment in Pakistan during the last three years.
In his remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong said that relations between the two countries have grown from strength to strength over the past sixty five years.
He said both the countries respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ambassador said the two countries maintained close collaboration on important regional and international issues to promote peace and prosperity in the world.