By Raja Kamran
PAKISTAN, PROUD OF ITS DECADES OLD ALL-WEATHER UNIQUE FRIENDSHIP WITH CHINA: NA SPEAKER
Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that Pakistan is proud of its decades old all-weather unique friendship and strategic partnership with China. He said that completion of CPEC would help Pakistan to achieve its economic and industrial goals besides extending the benefits of CPEC to the region. He said that present government is committed to take that exemplary relation to new heights. The Speaker said this while talking to Chinese Ambassador Mr. Nong Rong, who called on him this afternoon at Parliament House, today.
While talking to the Ambassador, the Speaker said China and Pakistan have cherished vibrant, friendly relations spreading over decades. He said that those ties were based on regional development, mutual trust, trade and economic cooperation. He added that the cooperation between both countries was rapidly expanding, thus it could confidently count on Chinese support at international and regional forums. He underlined the need for cementing parliamentary contacts for further cementing those ties. He agreed with the proposal for holding a virtual meeting with Chairman of the Chinese National People’s Congress on the 70th anniversary of Pakistan-China Diplomatic relations.
While discussing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Speaker said CPEC was a game changer for both the countries and the whole region. He said that it would significantly contribute not only in bringing socio-economic development in Pakistan but its benefits could be extended to the region. He said that Parliament out rightly stands with the CPEC, therefore a series of seminars had been arranged to mobilize stakeholders, intelligentsia and other segments of society to increase effectiveness to the project. He said that commitment of political leadership in Pakistan would make CPEC a novel model of cooperation.
Referring to the Rashakai Special Economic Zone project, the Speaker said that it will prove a milestone in the industrial development of the country especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Speaker informed that apart from Parliamentary Committee on CEPC, another Special Committee had been constituted to oversee the early completion of Chashma Right Bank Canal Project, Peshawar-D.I. Khan Motorway, Chakdara-Chitral Road (Dir Expressway) and other CEPC projects. He said that Prime Minister was on board on all the Parliamentary Initiatives who had directed all the concerned quarters to extend maximum support to Parliament in realizing the goals.
Ambassador Mr. Nong Kong said that relations between two countries were exceptional and gaining strength with the passage of time. He said that cooperation between China and Pakistan was clear depiction of the commitment of leadership of both the countries towards each other. The Ambassador said that completion of 1st phase of the CPEC would open new avenues of development for the people of the region. He informed that with the advent of 2nd Phase of the CPEC, socio-economic, industrialization, agriculture and scientific and technological sectors would be focused. He added that the completion of CPEC would change the destiny of the region and would unleash a new era of Pak-China relations. He informed the Speaker that time and date for holding Virtual conference would be coordinated mutually with between the National Assembly Secretariat.