Pakistan, China to fight anti-CPEC conspiracies together
Lahore: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said Pakistan and China will fight the conspiracies against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) together.
Speaking at a news conference here, Ahmed said Pakistan and China were determined to complete the CPEC projects within the deadlines.
“All conspiracies against CPEC have been foiled. CPEC is of paramount importance for progress and prosperity of Pakistan,” he said.
The minister’s statement came after three attacks on Chinese nationals in different cities of the country in the recent weeks. The first one on July 14 was alarming as ten Chinese nationals and three Pakistanis died in the Dasu suicide attack. The gun attack in Karachi on July 28 was a failed attempt where the Chinese national survived with minor injuries while a Chinese engineer was wounded and two Pakistanis children were killed in Gwadar on August 20.
The Pakistani Interior Minister said CPEC was already playing the role to bring an economic revolution. “CPEC is close to our hearts because without this our movement forward will be drastically slow,” he added.
Ahmed said that the federal government had successfully evacuated all its citizens from Afghanistan, who wanted to return to the country.
However, he added, there were some Pakistanis who did not want to leave Afghanistan for their personal reasons and, therefore, they were still there.
He said the government had issued transit visas to 1,500 people, while about 1,480 people were given access to Pakistan’s territories through Torkham border crossing.
“Both Torkham and Chaman border crossings were opened for those intending to travel to Pakistan if they had valid documents,” he added.
Ahmed said it had been decided to issue 21 days transit visas to all foreigners including members of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), delegates, journalists and others at the Islamabad airport and Torkham border crossing, adding that the world community had appreciated the Pakistan government efforts to evacuate its citizens besides foreigners from Afghanistan.
“An emergency helpline was being set up by the interior ministry to register people’s complaints pertaining to any issue and law and order situation,” he said.
The minister said the interior ministry had launched online visa, renewal and extension system besides issuance of Covid-19 vaccination certificates.
To a query, he said that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) was making arrangements for registration of votes of about 10 million overseas Pakistanis so that they could take part in national politics.
