CPEC to ensure energy, investment & competent human resources: Ahsan

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said that the present government will establish campuses of various universities in every district of the country in a bid to provide higher studies to the students of downtrodden areas at their door-steps. He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be a game changer in the region.
He said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of a three-day international conference titled "CPEC: Political, Economic and Social Perspective" held at Pharmacy Auditorium, University of Sindh Jamshoro. The minister termed CPEC a game changer for Pakistan, China and other South Asian countries, emphasizing that India too would be joining the corridor as it would have no other option but to do so.
"CPEC is a miraculous happening to transform us from agricultural economy to a knowledgeable economy. For this, we need energy, technology, financial investment and competent human resources - all these will be ensured by the CPEC," adding that in the 18th century it took the world 300 years to double the global economy, in the 19th century 70 years to do the same; and in the 20th century only 35 years to affect the doubling of international revenue. "This is due to incredible revolution in the field of information technology," he said.
The federal minister said that light engineering, labour intensive work pattern and low cost production mechanism were responsible for rapid growth of economy and relocation of millions of job opportunities in the global settings. "These employment of opportunity have now come to China and are making inroads in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand; we need to cash in on these opportunities so that Pakistan youth could also profit by these world economic incentives", he said.
He said that the relocation of job market in the above said world vision was the consequence of the CPEC. He maintained that the world was divided in two parallel perspectives one that insisted on quarantine policies to exorcise ones selves from foreign influence, and the other integration of their national socio-cultural and political interests with those of the other regional powers. He said Europe was following the first, whereas, China was encouraging the latter. "We have wasted 70 years of our precious national life in geo-politics, fighting the wars that did not belong to us. Now is the time to go after geo-economics to open a world of opportunities for our youth and national development. Our government is going exactly what is the requirement of the time that is to integrate cooperate, collaborate and coexist. CPEC is our signature initiative in this regard," he maintained.
"In the last three years, the economy has seen a steady growth from 2.5% in 2013 to 4.8% last year. In 2013, the inflation was in double digit whereas it is currently at the lowest level. Karachi Stock Exchange is considered one of the best performing stock exchanges in the region. The International Financial Institutions and credit rating agencies are showing confidence in Pakistan economy", he added. The minister further said that he would apprise the Prime Minister of the problems faced by University of Sindh and would also persuade him to release a special grant for the varsity and sanction one or two mega projects submitted by University of Sindh in the upcoming budgetary allocations.
Ahsan said that the nation will soon get rid of the ongoing power loadshedding as new projects are being set up are ten thousand megawatt electricity would be linked to the national grid.
Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani on the occasion said that CPEC was not only passing through developed areas of Pakistan but it would also cover underdeveloped parts of the country. Bijarani maintained that the CPEC project would not just integrate the commercial class or the business class of the society but the role of youth and local masses would be central in all development plans and projects.
The Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat in his speech on the occasion welcomed the guests and expressed special thanks to Professor Ahsan Iqbal for his consideration to reschedule to visit to USA to be able to come to University of Sindh. Dr Burfat said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was more than just a $47-billion-dollar investment. It would not only improve Pakistan's current situation, but improve the lives of nearly three billion people across the region as part of the larger Chinese vision of a grand Silk Road Economic Belt, which stretches across Asia through the Middle East and connects to Europe.
Dr Burfat quoted renowned British scholar Anatol Lieven said that CPEC was an Dr Burfat citing an online study said that the CPEC could catalyse Pakistan's gradual shift from an agrarian economy to a logistics hub for the transport of goods from China to emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa and vice versa.