Parties show rare unity for CPEC, stronger China relations

All the mainstream political parties of Pakistan on Friday displayed exemplary consensus to back the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with the leaders reiterating their unwavering commitment to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and China by thwarting all nefarious designs.

The political consensus was shown at the CPEC Pakistan-China Political Parties Forum and 3rd Meeting of CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultative Mechanism co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee Liu Jianchao who is on a three-day visit here.

Besides Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the senior leadership of all major political parties attended the event including Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, MQM’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Maulana Fazlur Rehman of JUI-F, Hina Rabbani Khar of PPP, Senator Syed Ali Zafar of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Munazza Hassan of Istehkam Pakistan Party, National Party’s Senator Jan Muhammad, senior politicians Afrasiab Khattak and others.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar said the CPEC played a catalystic role in Pakistan’s socioeconomic development. He said besides ridding the country of a chronic issue of load-shedding, the development projects under the CPEC helped create hundreds of new employment opportunities for the Pakistani people which the people of Pakistan would never forget.

Recalling the recent visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China, the deputy prime minister said both sides showed unanimity to execute the second phase of CPEC besides signing the modalities for third-party participation in the project. He reiterated that Pakistan was committed to promoting people-to-people linkages as both countries stood with each other through thick and thin.

Dar said the CPEC constituted a vital pillar of the Pak-China economic and strategic partnership and that there was complete unanimity on its significance as it catalyzed Pakistan’s endeavors toward socioeconomic prosperity and regional connectivity. He said as the two countries were witnessing a high-quality second phase of CPEC with both sides prioritizing the agriculture, information technology, industry and mining and mineral sectors.

In his remarks, Chinese Minister Liu Jianchao said the agreements signed during the “very successful” visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif provided an opportunity for the two countries to upgrade their ties to bring about desirable changes. He said the determination of both countries’ leaderships sent a clear message to the world that the China-Pakistan friendship was unbreakable.

He said Pakistan’s government introduced 5Es to focus on five key areas presenting an important opportunity for two peoples to work together to promote the community of shared destiny.

Calling party-to-party relations an integral part of bilateral relations, it was high time the parties contributed their wisdom to turn the blueprint into reality by understanding each other’s development philosophy. He said the affinity between the two peoples was not commensurate with the iron-clad nature of friendship and announced that IDCPC would invite 300 Pakistani parliamentarians to China in three years besides providing scholarships and vocational training to Pakistani youth.

Highlighting the adverse impacts of Western social media on the young generation regarding bilateral relationships, he said China would also invite people from media on a yearly basis to better understand each other.

He said his country is determined to build the upgraded version of CPEC. He said China and Pakistan will always stand shoulder to shoulder to forge a stronger and more solid all weather strategic partnership.

In his remarks, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal stressed that CPEC serves as a beacon of stability, regional integration, and economic interdependence. He said the development of Gwadar Port, a crucial component of CPEC, was noted for its strategic significance, providing China direct access to the Arabian Sea and promising economic revitalization for Pakistan. He said Phase II of CPEC aims to enhance Pakistan's manufacturing capacity through industrial cooperation, attracting Chinese investment, and relocating industrial units to Special Economic Zones.

Ahsan Iqbal said the two countries have agreed to expedite initiatives for modernizing Pakistan's agricultural sector with advanced technologies. Cooperation will also extend to B2B links, industrial cooperation, science and technology, artificial intelligence, and exploration of offshore oil and gas resources.

The Minister for Planning said the Government is committed to ensuring the security of Chinese personnel working in Pakistan. He said measures have been implemented to provide foolproof security, and continuous updates are shared with the Chinese Embassy regarding these actions.

Chairman Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani addressing the Joint Consultative Mechanism said that CPEC was an important project for economic development. He said Pakistan and China's friendship is higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the sea.

On the occasion, JUI-F Chairman Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said that the entire Pakistan welcomes the Chinese delegation. He said there was a national consensus on CPEC. China has always supported Pakistan unconditionally in the Kashmir dispute.

He said, “We are grateful to the leadership of China for supporting the Kashmir issue." While Pakistan always supported China over the Taiwan issue.

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that CPEC will prove to be a game changer for the region. He said CPEC was the guarantor of the economic development of both countries. Ayaz Sadiq said that CPEC was the backbone of Pakistan's development.

Addressing the Joint Consultative Mechanism, Senator Ali Zafar said that Pak-China Friendship was the basis of Pakistan’s foreign policy and CPEC was the expression of Pak-China friendship. He said that all political parties were participating in this meeting. He hoped that now both sides will boost work on the CPEC.