Prime Minister Shehbaz for strengthening cooperation with China in the IT and agriculture sectors

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed Pakistan’s desire to enhance bilateral cooperation with China in the agriculture, information technology (IT) and energy sectors.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on strengthening cooperation between the two nations in various fields, the prime minister described China as an important partner in the country’s development and stressed the need to increase exports of local products to Beijing.

Inviting Chinese companies, especially in the textile sector, to set up factories in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz also assured that the government would provide all possible facilities to Chinese industrialists and investors.

Addressing the meeting, which was also attended by Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other senior officials, the prime minister said the government was eagerly preparing for the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“With cooperation with China, Gwadar port will become a logistics hub (…) the establishment of Agricultural Demonstration Zones will be an important project in the next phase of CPEC,” he said.

Stressing that China can help Pakistan in setting a strategy to increase exports, the Prime Minister also directed the relevant ministries to prepare new projects to strengthen Pakistan’s cooperation with China and also take steps to promote business ties.

The review meeting comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz plans to make his first visit to China in the second week of June in response to the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

A comprehensive security plan for Chinese citizens

On the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that reliable security will be provided to Chinese nationals and that a comprehensive security plan has already been developed in this regard.

The prime minister’s remarks came after Beijing on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to continue working with Pakistani authorities to strengthen security cooperation and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel.

Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Beijing would continue to support Islamabad in investigating the Dasu attack to track down and punish the perpetrators of the terrorist attack.

The spokesman’s comments came after a joint press conference between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta) on the Dasu suicide attack, which left at least six people, including five Chinese nationals, dead after the attacker rammed him. suicides. to your vehicle in Bisham.

During the press conference, the minister called on Afghanistan to hand over the fighters involved in the deadly attack.

“(Pakistan) has formally asked the interim government in Afghanistan to arrest the leaders of the (banned) TTP,” he said.

Meanwhile, Necta chief Tahir Rai revealed that he said the explosives-laden vehicle that hit a bus carrying Chinese nationals had reached Pakistan via Afghanistan.

The official revealed that 11 suspects have been arrested so far in the case.

In the wake of the deadly attack, the federal cabinet approved a decision by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to pay $2.58 million as part of a compensation package to the families of Chinese nationals killed in the Dasu attack.