In his visit to China for the 3rd Belt and Road Forum, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar proposed Chinese investments in solar parks.
The interim premier reached Beijing on Monday to participate in the 3rd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation. He stressed the importance of such investments for Pakistan’s climate action and to reduce the energy import bill. PM Kakar also emphasized the significance of the China-Pakistan relationship, highlighting the benefits of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in transforming Pakistan’s geoeconomic landscape.
He underlined the need for skill development and vocational training programs for the success of CPEC’s next phase. The prime minister expressed Pakistan’s desire to learn from China’s models for building industrial parks and special economic zones.
He highlighted that China and Pakistan enjoyed a time-tested relationship based on mutual trust and shared interests. “Despite international politics, our friendship has remained steadfast.”
The interim premier emphasised that there was no bilateral relation more important for Pakistan than its friendship with China.
“This special relation enjoys across-the-board national consensus in Pakistan,” he said. “There should be no doubt that Pakistan would undermine our unique affection for China.”
Terming CPEC the manifestation of Pak-China strategic cooperation, Kakar said the project symbolises coordinated efforts of the two countries to bring their economic and trade ties at par with each other.
The project also symbolises the two countries’ excellent political relations, he added.
“For Pakistan, CPEC is a transformative project central to advancing our national agenda to sustainable development,” the prime minister continued, adding that the geoeconomic landscape of the country — from Gilgit-Baltistan to the deep sea ports of Karachi and Gwadar — was transformed in the last few years due to CPEC.
Kakar said the infrastructure of the country was upgraded and the potential of the large youth population was unleashed due to CPEC.
“It is already proving to be a catalyst for job creation, poverty alleviation, and rural revitalisation giving strength to the vulnerable and underprivileged apart from reaching the remote sections of society,” he added.
“I myself come from Balochistan, an underdeveloped province of Pakistan, and generally believe that CPEC is a beacon of development, progress, and prosperity for the people of my province.”
Explaining that CPEC was a symbol of Pak-China strategic trust, interim PM Kakar said Pakistan was seeking to create new drives of growth that would benefit the wider region and beyond.
He announced that Pakistan was open to “drawing new partners who wish to join us in availing benefits from CPEC”.
