Islamabad: (Parliament times) Expressing his profound gratitude to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for inclusion of AJK into China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said that now Azad Kashmir is part of mainstream development. Addressing post 6th joint cooperation committee on CPEC, AJK PM said destiny of the state will change forever as significant change will come in the lives of people on this side of LoC.  He said now people of Azad Kashmir feel they are very part and parcel of Pakistan adding that CPEC will help bring the provinces of Pakistan closer and strengthening the bond of love, cooperation and confidence among the people of different regions of Pakistan.    He demanded inclusion of more hydropower generation and tourism related projects in the CPEC. The Prime minister said AJK has great potential to benefit from the CPEC and said positive impacts of CPEC would be felt in Srinagar even. Earlier Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said utmost transparency is being ensured in all projects of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He said some elements are hell-bent to hamper Pakistan’s development by spreading confusion over these projects.
The Minister said the national leadership has foiled all the conspiracies by taking all the provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan into confidence. Later talking to media, Ahsan Iqbal said CPEC will give impetus to industrialization in Pakistan and help flourish country’s business. The Minister ruled out the impression that China will bring its own labor for projects under CPEC. He urged all stakeholders to join forces in successful execution of CPEC, which is a game changer not only for Pakistan and China, but for the entire region. Later member of KPK Assembly Sardar Fareed Ahmed Khan called on AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan here at Kashmir House   on Thursday and discussed the matters of mutual interest.