CPEC taken to new highest to promote development: Khusro Bakhtiar

November 01, 2019: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Khusro Bakhtiar said Friday that the government had uplifted the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to new highest as there had been multifold increase in its volume to promote development and progress of the country.

The minister was addressing a press conference here to brief the media persons about the agenda of upcoming 9th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting scheduled between Pakistan and China this week.

The minister was flanked by Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Federal Minister for Power, Omar Ayub, Special Assistant to PM on Information and Boardcasting, Firdous Asiq Awan and Assistant to Prime Minister on Energy, Nadeem Babar.

The minister said that many important and mega projects were scheduled to be discussed in the meeting, particularly he mentioned the Railway revamping project under which the old system would be replaced by new and modern railways system to ensure fast-tract development.

The minister said that progress and development of Pakistan was directly linked to ports and costal belts, hence special focus was being given to develop these areas, adding that the Gwadar Master Plan would be ready by November 6.

He said that discussion for financing to complete Islamabad-Quetta motorway project would also be held in the JCC.

The minister said that the meeting would also finalize the dates for inaugurating various Special Economic Zones that would help bring into investment from China and other countries of the world.

APP