"China is our great friend..." Shahbaz Sharif reprimanded officials over CPEC delays, saying negligence will not be tolerated.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has warned that China remains a "great friend and brother" of Pakistan but CPEC is the last chance to benefit from Chinese expertise and investment.

Chairing a high-level meeting recently, Sharif warned of strict action against ministries and departments delaying the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2 projects worth over USD 8 billion, the Express Tribune newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Prime Minister said that although the Pakistan-China B2B Summit was a tremendous success, the agreements must be carefully followed up by the relevant ministries to convert them into binding joint venture contracts so that Chinese investments can materialise.

Negligence will not be tolerated – Sharif

Sharif said that any negligence or undue delay will not be tolerated and, unlike in the past, no project should be delayed. He said China has agreed to launch the CPEC 2.0 program, which will focus on investment in agriculture, special economic zones, mines and minerals, and the upgrade of the Karakoram Highway.

China is a great friend and brother of Pakistan – Sharif

The Prime Minister cautioned that China remains a "great friend and brother" of Pakistan, but this is the last opportunity to benefit from Chinese expertise and investment. He urged ministries to work diligently to ensure success and stressed that the government is accountable to the public and responsible for results.

"History will never forgive us if we fail to seize this opportunity," he said.

Important agreements signed between China and Pakistan

The Prime Minister also recalled his recent visit to China, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin and met with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and other world leaders. He commended the officials for their role in organizing the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Summit in Beijing on September 4, where MoUs worth US$8.5 billion were signed.

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