LONDON: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that with inflation at 13-year low in Pakistan, improved GDP growth and high forex reserves, the country’s economy was turning around.
Talking to newsmen after his arrival here on the invitation ofBritish Prime Minister David Cameron, he also mentioned the reduction in the prices of petroleum products, causing slash in the production cost of electricity.
In this improved economic conditions, he said, the foreign companies and entrepreneurs should come forward and invest in Pakistan, adding, the country would soon get rid of the electricity and gas crises.
Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister termed the visit as “very productive” and said the Chinese investment of $ 46billion under the CPEC, was unprecedented.
He said such a huge investment was not brought to the country during the last decades that had been achieved within a single visit of the Chinese President.
The Prime Minister said the investors should start planning their future projects for Pakistan that could take a couple of years and in the meanwhile the country would get rid of gas and power crises.
To a question, he said gas pipelines would be laid from Karachi to Gawadar and Nawabshah; power project was being installedat Port Qasim.
Gawadar would be made an international city by constructing an international airport there, he added.
Wind power projects would be installed in Sindh, coal-fired power plants in the Punjab and road network from Khunjrab to Mansehra and Islamabad would be laid, he said, adding, work on Hazara Motorway has already been launched.
The Prime Minister said the Corridor project will also benefit AJK, as Karote Power project would be installed whereas work on Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project was already underway.
He said the Economic Corridor will benefit the whole of country through various road and power projects in all the provinces.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged media to mainly focus on country’s economy to aware the world that Pakistan was a developing country.
Media should also highlight the positive developments in the country like reduction in petroleum and electricity prices, he added.
He said the international media had already recognized the positive trends of the Pakistan’s economy as well as country’s foreign policy.
To a question, the Prime Minister said the overseas Pakistanis were also witnessing the economic uplift of the country and the Chinese investment in Pakistan.
Responding to a question, Nawaz Sharif said some elements did not want to see Pakistan prospering and wanted to sabotage future investment. “But, all of us will have to defeat their designs. Pakistan will, Insha Allah, achieve progress,” he added.
He hoped that all the planned projects would be installed and completed successfully and the government would ensure the security of all these projects.
The Prime Minister in this respect mentioned the government’s decision to raise a force exclusively for providing security cover to the Chinese workers.
