CPEC to have positive impact on the whole region, says Pakistani trade leader

Islamabad: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will not only benefit China and Pakistan but would have a positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asian Republic, and the region, a senior Pakistani trade leader said.

Chairman United business Group in the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Shahzad Ali Malik maintained that the whole region can benefit from the mega plan.

Talking to a delegation of industrialists and traders led by Momin Ali, he stressed that the enhancement of geographical linkages has improved road, rail, and air transportation systems with frequent and free exchanges of growth and people-to-people contact.

“CPEC is journey towards economic regionalization in the globalized world and it founded peace, development, and a win-win model for all of them. This gigantic project is the hope of a better region of the future with peace, development, and growth of the economy,” he added.

Malik mentioned that CPEC had not only been central to Pakistan’s economic growth but also contributed to regional connectivity and development.

He paid a rich tribute to the leadership of the two countries for providing strategic guidance to the development of CPEC, which was a flagship project of the Built Road Initiative (BRI).

Malik maintained that it was Pakistan’s strong commitment to smooth and high-quality development of the next phase of CPEC with a greater focus on the development of industrial parks and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

“Pakistan greatly values the contributions of the Chinese IPPs in helping Pakistan achieve energy security and termed it a good omen that two sides reached a consensus to set up expert groups on enhancing Pakistan’s export potential and development of Special Economic Zones and industrial parks,” he remarked.