Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif to take CPEC forward with new vigour: PML-N leader

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) forward with new vigour, vitality and in a rejuvenated manner, ensuring multifaceted development of flagship project of China's ambitious Belt and Ro Initiative (BRI), a top leer of ruling PML-N has said.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a leer of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), me remarks on Sunday while discussing future of Pakistan-China relations and future cross border collaboration in China's CGTN programme Hub' with Wang Guan.

"In first day in office as Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif met Chinese Acting Ambassor and told her that Pakistan considers China as Pakistan's closest friend and strongest partner and we will take CPEC forward with new vigour, with new vitality and in a rejuvenated manner," he was quoted as saying by Express Tribune newspaper.

Mushahid said that China has a very old and long standing relationship with Shehbaz Sharif. 

When BRI was launched, CPEC was its centrepiece, and that was taken forward by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his bror Shehbaz Sharif was n chief minister of Punjab.

Mushahid said that under new government, re would be a bro based acceleration in Pakistan-China relations in all domains.

"China is number one, in terms of a foreign policy priority, which prime minister me clear when he listed list of countries and his formulation has been very warmly welcomed in China. So, we have no doubt," he ded.

Mushahid said that China is only country for which re is across--board national consensus, and entire political leership considers it to be Pakistan's number one friend.

"So, China friendship is cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy, and I see this relationship being furr developed and taken to new heights of development, he ded.

In response to a question about continued momentum in CPEC projects, he said that first phase of CPEC was completed when Nawaz Sharif was in power.

" second phase is bigger. And you will see perhaps acceleration in field of agriculture, in field of Information Technology, in field of tourism, and also infrastructure, especially railway project, he ded.

He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif h alrey announced during his visit to Karachi that his government would expand CPEC. So, re would be multifaceted development of CPEC.

Mushahid said that CPEC framework also united federation of Pakistan through infrastructure and energy projects and it h resolved a lot of problems. "So, we feel CPEC is character of a better tomorrow for people of Pakistan, Mushahid was quoted as saying by paper. 

CPEC, which connects Gwar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar BRI.

BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Souast Asia, Central Asia, Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.