Salahuddin Haider
Karachi
Chairman, K-Electric Ikram Sehgal revealed on Friday that China has agreed to supply two power plants of 900 and 700 megawatts, and the Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing re-assured that CPEC was not only beneficial for Pakistan but for entire region.
The disclosures or the announcements were made at a periodical session of Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) Friday afternoon.
Soft spoken, clear headed, and exemplary in approach and attitude, the envoy posted to Islamabad, was in Karachi on a visit, and delivered a very knowledgeable and informative speech, removing mis- conception about fudging of trade figures, and the emphasis on agriculture, education, vocational training, setting up a university, and investment prospects in an hour long discourse.
He was candid, open and coolly reflected on Pak-China ties, titled “CPEC and Beyond” making it clear that both his country and Pakistan should accommodate Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, for it will be a very healthy development.
With the change of government in Pakistan after 2018 elections, Chinese foreign minister was in Islamabad, and the new administration of prime minister Imran khan, presented its vision, strategy, priorities in negotiations which indeed were balanced one,
Projects already in progress, are going apace, but a new agriculture university, has been promised for Pakistan, like educational expansion, growth in industrial promotion, social sector development, all aimed at broadening the cooperation in different fields.
Agriculture was very important for Pakistan, for which Beijing will lend a helping hand in technological field, through establishing a joint working group, the envoy said.
China will also help Pakistan in poverty alleviation, for being far more experienced in uplifting its 700 million poor from below povertyline. Even prime minister Imran Khan acknowledges that, and seems eager to follow Chinese formula to achieve that target, his dream rather, for his own countrymen.
Yao Jing also announced that while 30 hospitals in Pakistan will be upgraded for better medical facilities to Pakistanis, some 20,000 scholarships have been lined up for Pakistani students. This is a major step in educational aspect of a country, with poor literacy rate. State if Art Institutions will be set up in Pakistan.
Scholarships are also part of the welfare list. Some 50 schools will be donated all over Pakistan, said the envoy smiling and with a sense of pride.
He said his country being the second largest economy of the world, despite odds and challenges, is determined to forge ahead, for regional and global peace. It will play its role dutifully.
Tracing the history of Gwadar, he said, it dated back to 80s, but despite several brainstorming sessions, it was considered economically unviable, till General Pervez Musharraf’s attention, helped it attract few ships, but now Gwadar has finally been picked as focal point for development of sea trade. Clean water project of 5,000 tons of fresh water plant, and new power plants will help solve teething problem for the Balochistani port city, from where a railroad to Kandhar in Afghanistan will be multi-purpose projects,
He erased impression that Chinese exports was 16 billon US dollars, whereas Pakistan’s exports to peoples republic was only above 2 billion us dollars. Charges that 4 billion dollars wre money laundered in Dubai, and only 12 billion dollars exports were correct, he said his government never really released that figure. The Pakistani businessmen spoke about that.
Mr Ikram Sehgal, chairman KCFR acknowledged that the envoy’s speech was very knowledgeable and informative and invitees to the function must have benefitted from his discourse enormously.
