CPEC is great opportunity for Pakistan: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a great opportunity for Pakistan, adding it needs to be fully exploited to achieve its fullest potential.

Talking to a group of post-graduate students from School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-e-Azam University, who visited the Prime Minister Office, to discuss Pakistan’s foreign relations, he said ties with China were based on historical relations which were far beyond the economic relations.

The Prime Minister said in general economic ties lead to political diplomacy.

In response to a question, the Prime Minister said Kashmir was a long-standing issue which needs to be resolved in line with the UN resolutions.

To a question regarding FATA, the Prime Minister said its mainstreaming was a process and said the PML(N) government was working diligently to address the matter.

He said the government was already working on expansion of jurisdiction of the higher courts to FATA.

The government, he said, was also focusing on development of FATA and said a very large 10-year budget was being formulated for the FATA residents.

While addressing the issue of energy shortage, the Prime Minister said the government has shifted dependence from furnace oil to gas for power generation as it was a much cheaper option.

Earlier Special Assistant to the PM Ali J. Siddiqui and MNA Ms. Shiza Fatima briefed the students regarding executive branch of the government and working of the Prime Minister Office.