CPEC projects in Balochistan will be completed within stipulated time: Imran Khan
Gwadar Pro
Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the Balochistan province will be completed within the stipulated time.
In a meeting with the new Balochistan Chief Minister, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, here at his office, PM Khan emphasized that competition of the CPEC on time will benefit the Balochistan province.
“The federal government will ensure provision of all possible resources for development of backward areas of Balochistan,” he pledged.
The PM mentioned the government’s efforts to expedite work on the CPEC projects, especially in Balochistan.
The Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister about the CPEC and development projects in Balochistan and also exchanged views on the overall political situation in the province, said an official statement released by the PM’s office.
Recently, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that his country needs investment, especially from China, to accelerate industrialisation and provide jobs to its growing population.
PM Khan had also directed the authorities concerned to make land and tax incentives available to attract more and more Chinese investors.
“Pakistan needs investment to accelerate industrialisation. It is critical to create maximum employment opportunities for our growing population, 65 percent of which are under the age of 35,” PM Khan had noted while chairing a high-powered recent meeting.
He added: “Authorities concerned need to take all possible measures to provide land; electricity and gas connections, and tax incentives to attract more and more Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan and populate the SEZs (Special Economic Zones).”
PM Khan was briefed that out of the total 27 SEZs in the country, work on five SEZs including Dhabeji in Sindh, Rashakai in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Bostan in Balochistan, Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Punjab and Gwadar in Balochistan) was in full swing.
An effective single window operation facility is being set up at each of these SEZs and a Facilitation Center in CPEC Authority to resolve all issues of the potential Chinese investors under one roof.
The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPEC is a collection of infrastructure and other projects under construction throughout Pakistan since 2013.
The BRI was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he assumed presidency in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
