All provinces to get equal benefits from CPEC: Ahsan

ISLAMABAD, Jan 7 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning,
Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal Saturday said the China
Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a national project and all
the provinces would be benefitted equally from it.
Talking in a PTV programme, he said the CPEC was beneficial
not only for rural areas but urban areas also. The Lahore Orange Line
Train project, he said, was also part of the corridor.
The minister said the all the chief ministers were on board
and they had a consensus that the CPEC was a mega project which
would benefit coming generations.
He urged the prime minister to again call an all parties
conference (APC) to remove reservations of all the political parties
on the CPEC.
He said the western route of CPEC had become be operational
from November 2016.
Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan and China were enjoying good
and cordial relations. China was investing huge amount in Pakistan
in the shape of CPEC which was commendable, he added.
He said China had told its businessmen to invest in Pakistan
which was a peaceful loving country. Chinese investors had got
attractive economy and their investment would help meet the
energy shortage.
Electricity was like oxygen for economic growth and
the government was trying to provide cheap energy to the
consumers through CPEC, he added.
He said Thar coal, Gawador and two Gilgit Baltistan power
projects had been launched in the country.
The construction work on Sukkur-Multan motorway was underway
while one international university would be constructed in FATA to
provide quality education to the students, he added.
He said industrial zones would be constructed every
province.