Pakistan, China committed to continued CPEC expansion: FO

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said that – being a framework of regional connectivity – China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is open for third-party participation to benefit from investment opportunities in its priority areas such as industry, agriculture, information technology, science and technology, and oil and gas sectors.

In her weekly press briefing, the Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said that both Pakistan and China remained committed to continued expansion and development of the CPEC to promote win-win connectivity, development, and mutual prosperity.

“We will continue to push forward all the CPEC projects in a safe, smooth, and high-quality manner, promoting cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, investment, industry, agriculture, health, and science and technology,” she added.

Pakistan and China are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the CPEC which was an important pillar of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China, adding people of Pakistan had witnessed remarkable achievements and fruits of high-quality development stimulated by the CPEC since its inauguration in 2013.

“Under the first phase of CPEC, China invested around $ 25.4 billion in Pakistan, primarily in energy and transport infrastructure sectors. The CPEC projects have added 8,000 MWs of energy to the national grid, 510 km of highways, 932 km of road networks and 820 km of optical fiber line besides creating about 200,000 jobs in Pakistan,” she added.

She regretted that people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir were prevented from participating in Eid festivities as they were barred from attending Eid prayers at the historic Jamia Mosque and central Eidgah in Srinagar.

The head cleric of the Jamia Masjid and prominent Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq remains under arbitrary house arrest since August 2019.

“For over 200 Fridays, he [Mirwaiz Umar Farooq] hasn’t been able to address Friday congregations from Jamia Masjid’s pulpit. We urge Indian authorities to set Mirwaiz Umar Farooq free and bring an end to restrictions imposed on Kashmiris which prevent them from freely practicing their religion,” she added.

She also said that the seventh martyrdom anniversary of Kashmiri youth leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani would be observed on July 8.

Highlighting last week’s diplomatic activities, Baloch said that in his address to the virtual meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on July 4, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Shanghai spirit and presented Pakistan’s vision for connectivity and regional cooperation as a vehicle for peace and prosperity.

He stressed the need for collective action against the menace of terrorism, extremism, and separatism.

About Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s visit to Japan from July 1-4, she said that the minister held bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and called on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

She said that Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan is currently in Türkiye for an official visit. On Wednesday, he led the Pakistan delegation at the sixth round of the Pakistan-Türkiye Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Ankara, she added.

Condemning the brutal Israeli raids and airstrikes in Jenin, resulting in multiple casualties, Baloch said that the people of Pakistan were outraged by this deliberate targeting of civilians.

As Pakistan is going to celebrate the sanctity of the Holy Quran on Friday (today), she added, the country strongly condemns the despicable acts of the public burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden and other countries in Europe.

“We believe that such willful incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under the guise of freedom of expression. The recurrence of such Islamophobic incidents calls into serious question the legal framework which permits such hate-driven actions,” she added.

She said as a leading member of the OIC, Pakistan had called for an urgent debate on this important matter at the UN Human Rights Council.

Baloch said that the Foreign Minister of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, would arrive in Pakistan for an official visit from July 7-9.