CPEC income to be more than Pakistan budget: Gilani

BAHAWALPUR: Provincial Minister for Higher Education, Raza Haider Gilani said that the income generated from toll plazas on 2,400 kilometer long Gwadar-Khunjrab route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC ) and its rail service and 120 berths of Gwadar Port would be more than annual financial budget of Pakistan.

He further said that after completely functioning of Gwadar deep sea port and CPEC, US dollar would be available at Pk Rs 1.75, as saying, due to 67 berths at Dubai Port, US dollar was available at UAE Dirham 3.31. “Value of US dollar will decline at amazing level as 120 berths of Gwadar deep sea port and CPEC route completely start functioning,” he said.

He was addressing 12th Convocation at Islamia University Bahawalpur, here on Wednesday that was attended by Vice Chancellor, IUB, Prof-Dr. Qaisar Mushtaq, deans of faculties, academicians and hundreds of students.

He said that Dubai port has 67 berths and added that ships anchored in deep sea instead at dock of Dubai port as anchoring of ships at berths was not available at Dubai port. “Instead, Gwadar deep sea port having 120 berths provided with facility to ships to be anchored at berths due to its deep sea,” he said.

He said that US dollar was available at UAE Dirham 3.31 due to international importance of Dubai port and added that Gwadar port was going to become more important than Dubai port.

He said that some western and neighboring countries had perceived that complete functioning of Gwadar deep sea port and CPEC would damage their economies including their currencies and added therefore, these forces had started to oppose Gwadar port and CPEC and putting hurdles in complete execution of Gwadar port and CPEC.

The Minister said that under CPEC, US dollar 35 billion were being spent on power generation projects in Pakistan, adding that Sahiwal power plant was part of CPEC. “Pakistan will have several new industries that would be part of CPEC,” he said.

He claimed that in second phase of CPEC, a road would be constructed to connect Pakistan with Europe. “A road will be constructed to connect our country with Europe to increase trade activities,” he said.

Advising graduates of the convocation, he said that they should make a specific mindset of hard work instead of adopting short cuts. “People of western countries consider themselves as best nations of the world as they believe in hard work instead short cuts,” he said. “We will have to be positive minded people by leaving short cuts,” he said.

Criticizing western culture, he said that western countries take Pakistani immigrants as aliens. “Despite the fact that western countries have given nationality to a large number of Pakistanis,” he said, adding that but they did not accept them as first level citizens.

He said that university graduates should appreciate and be thankful to their parents who raised them and due to their efforts, they got higher education. He further advised them to also be thankful to their teachers who imparted education to them.

He said that Pakistanis were best nation of the world and claimed that Pakistan was going to make best education system of the world that would be adopted by rest of the world.

He said that education without civilized attitudes and training of etiquettes could not bear fruits and make society positive.

Over 1,700 graduates and others who completed their Ph.D and M. Phil courses got their medals and degrees, respectively.