LAHORE: Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) sounded positive over the vision of extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan in order to promote economic development and prosperity in the war-torn country during a meeting held at PCJCCI Secretariat, on Wednesday.
Mr. Wang Zihai, President PCJCCI claimed that it would not only be a “game-changer” but also a “fate-changer” of nearly 30 million people living in Afghanistan. He added that it will increase the mutual trust, cooperation and regional connectivity between the three nations; Pakistan, China and Afghanistan.
He added that this initiative of the government will help in de-freezing Afghanistan’s foreign reserves and facilitation of banking operations to ease the economic hardships of the Afghan people and will help in building a sustainable economy.
PCJCCI Senior Vice President Ehsan Choudhry said that by linking Pakistan’s southern Gawadar port in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China’s western Xinjiang region will open new vistas of trade and development for the business community.
He added that Gawadar is the jewel in Pakistan’s economy. If it is combined with the surrounding areas through communications infrastructure, it could become a new Asian trade nucleus. Gawadar possesses immense strategic lure and could emerge as a key shipping point for both countries.
The joint Chamber’s Vice President Sarfaraz Butt said that expansion of CPEC in Afghanistan will bring a major breakthrough in socio-economic ties between the three nations. He added that the government of Pakistan and China should include educational projects in the framework of CPEC in Afghanistan including girl’s education and effective counter-terrorism measures.
PCJCCI Secretary General Salahuddin Hanif said that there is a dire need to expedite humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and its people to avert the looming crisis and called upon the international community to provide continued and enhanced assistance and support to Afghanistan including through unfreezing of Afghanistan’s financial assets. He also said that CPEC will work as a catalyst to stabilize and flourish the economy of Afghanistan.
