Kotli: (Parliament Times) Terming China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a win-win for both the counties the President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan has said that the CPEC is a reflection of the strong relationship between the two nations.
The President made these remarks while addressing a one-day seminar on “CPEC and Azad Kashmir” organized by the University of Kotli AJK here on Monday. The event was a part of a series of seminars to be held at public-sector universities of AJK on highlighting the opportunities and the challenges of CPEC. He said that Kotli University has taken a positive initiative in arranging this seminar on CPEC and will act as a catalyst for further research.
The President said that CPEC is not a stand-alone project but is, in fact, a part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He said that almost 65 countries, including Pakistan, are a part of BRI which is aimed at global economic connectivity across the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe.
Highlighting the prospects of CPEC, the President said that this project is not to be considered a substitute for Pakistan’s overall economic progress but rather a huge catalyst helping evolve and develop our economy. Pakistan, he said, is an emerging economy, well on its way to becoming one of the leading economies in the next three decades.
Underscoring the importance of geopolitical stability through enhancing economic and commercial activities, President Masood Khan said that CPEC and the BRI are initiatives structured around inclusiveness which will be instrumental for connectivity, productivity and promoting conducive circumstances for prosperity and building peaceful neighbourhoods.
President Masood Khan said that under the CPEC project, Pakistan and China will in the medium-to-long run explore and expand the cooperation fields to financial services, science and technology, tourism, education, poverty elimination and city planning, to meet the demands of deepening and promoting substantive cooperation between the two countries. He also brushed aside all apprehensions connected to CPEC being China’s plan for colonisation.
President Masood Khan said that Azad Kashmir has been included as a key region for CPEC with multiple projects for highway linkages, energy generation and establishing an industrial estate will help revive local economy making it into an ideal location for business and tourism activity.
The AJK President said that with the formal inclusion of Azad Kashmir in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor; 4 projects have exclusively been earmarked for this region which includes Karot (720 MW), Kohala (1124 MW) Hydro-power projects, Special Industrial Zone in Mirpur and the Mansehra-Mirpur Expressway.
The President said that CPEC will generate thousands of new jobs in specialized fields like logistics, supply chain management, hydraulics, artificial intelligence and other post-modern subjects. he urged the students to understand and adapt to the upcoming challenges, especially in the ever-changing job market.
CPEC’s projects in AJK, he said, will also help promote national and international investors to the region. President AJK said that an economic revolution is unfolding in Azad Kashmir, led by the present Government’s transformative initiatives towards building new roads, energy production, health, industry, agriculture, promotion of tourism and telecommunications.
The President asserted the need to address the potential prospects of CPEC by adapting to the change and increasing our absorptive capacity. He said this could be achieved by the efficient and equitable allocation of resources by heavily investing in human and organisational development. He added that we must innovate and strive for technological advancements in order fully exploit the opportunities that CPEC will bring to this region.
The seminar was attended by Prof. Dr. Dilnawaz Ahmad Gardezi, Vice Chancellor University of Kotli; Dr. Ashfaque Hassan Khan, Principal and Dean School of Social Sciences, NUST; Dr Asif Hussain, Additional Secretary AJK, Ms. Midhat Shehzad, Secretary Tourism, Information and IT AJK; a large number of researchers, scholars, faculty member and students from various departments of the university.
After the event, the President also inaugurated the newly built Administration Block at the University campus.
