CPEC set to enter next business-to-business mode: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was set to enter the next business-to-business (B2B) mode after the productive government-level phase.

Chairing a review meeting on CPEC, the prime minister said the government had rejuvenated the multi-billion dollar project that faced hiatus during the tenure of the previous government. The meeting focused on infrastructure projects particularly Main Line-1 (ML-1), Karachi Circular Railway, and Karakoram Highway. The project related to the production of 10,000-megawatt electricity with solar and wind sources also came under discussion.

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was about to witness an industrial boom with the restoration of CPEC projects. He welcomed the interest of Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan’s solar projects. The prime minister said the ML-1 rail project would play an important role in the strengthening of the national economy by connecting the country’s ports with China and Central Asia. He termed the ML-1 project as the ‘backbone’ of the country with high prospects of progress.

The meeting was attended by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, federal ministers including Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Salik Hussain, Syed Naveed Qamar, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Syed Murtaza Mehmood and Tariq Bashir Cheema, Advisers to PM Ahad Cheema, State Minister for Petroleum Dr Musaddik Malik, Special Assistants including Tariq Fatemi, Zafaruddin Mehmood, Jahanzeb Khan, Syed Fahad Hussain, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ahsan Afzal, Badar Shehbaz and senior officials. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah joined the meeting through video link.