Sharif urges politicians to bridge differences over CPEC

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today asked political leaders to stop wrangling and adopt a consensus approach on the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project for the benefit of the country.
Sharif was addressing a meeting of parliamentary leaders in Islamabad.
The meeting was convened after different parties expressed reservations over the changes in the route of the USD 45 billion CPEC, linking western China with the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea in southern Balochistan.
Radio Pakistan reported that Sharif said the political leaders reserve the right to express their reservations which will be addressed.
Sharif urged the political parties to adopt a consensus regarding the CPEC.

"We should move forward on national matters with one voice and united stance. This will also send a good message to China that the entire Pakistani nation is committed for the economic corridor project," he said.

Sharif said this mega project will prove a milestone for Pakistan as the investment pouring in from China is unprecedented and credit for this goes to all political parties.
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal briefed the parliamentary leaders about the different routes of the economic corridor project.
Iqbal said the corridor project will benefit all the provinces. He said Gwadar will be connected with Kashgar with three different routes.

He said the project is not merely the name of a road but it envisages establishment of industrial zones and power projects.
Most of the power projects under the corridor will be established in Sindh.
He said this project will attract more tourists to Gilgit Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
It was the second meeting on the corridor as the previous one on May 13 was postponed due to the attack on Shia Ismailis which killed 45 people.
The CPEC was launched during Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit here last month.