ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was chairing an All-Parties Conference (APC) here on Thursday to build consensus on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
This is the second APC to be called on the CPEC project. The first APC took place on May 13. The conference has been called to build consensus among political parties and remove any concerns they have regarding the mega project.
"I hope this becomes a tradition that even in the future we sit together to bring about consensus to move forward on national issues," said Sharif in his opening address to the attendants of the meeting.
The prime minister said that leaders had the right to bring forward their concerns regarding the project, which would be addressed by the government.
He said that China was a friend of Pakistan and that it does not care which party is currently in the government.
He said that Pakistan was committed to the project, which hold great importance for the uplift and development of the country’s economy.
The APC was being attended by representatives from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and others.
Several political parties including the PTI, MQM, ANP and JUI-F had raised reservations and key questions during the last APC over the CPEC, including the route being adopted for the trade corridor that would connect Gwadar port on the Arabian to Khunjerab, opening up economic opportunities for areas which the China-Pakistan road link passes trough.
The Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal briefed the political leaders today to remove existing concerns over the mega project.
The last APC on May 13 had ended inconclusive as leaders including the prime minister had to rush to Karachi after a deadly terrorist attack in the port city claimed the lives 45 members of the minority Ismaili community.
THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL PAK
