Planning ministry rejects reports about non-expansion of CPEC scope

ISLAMABAD, (Sep 29): Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives on Thursday strongly rejected reports appearing in a section of media about the non-expansion of the scope of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), terming them “Misgivings and Misperceptions.”
“Recent news articles have claimed that China does not want to expand the scope of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). These claims are factually incorrect and misleading,” the ministry clarified in a news release.
It said China and Pakistan were committed to expanding the scope of CPEC to include new areas of cooperation, such as water resources management, climate change, and tourism. “These areas were already part of the CPEC Long Term Plan, and both sides agreed during the deliberations before the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) to work out the detailed contours of these projects in upcoming sessions of respective Joint Working Groups (JWGs).”
The JWGs are technical bodies comprising experts from both sides responsible for conceiving and evaluating project proposals in their respective areas. “This is a standard procedure for CPEC projects, and it ensures that all proposals are carefully considered and that they meet the goals and objectives of the CPEC Long Term Plan.”
The ministry said CPEC projects had already been “implemented and are ongoing” in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the coastal areas, while there were more projects for these areas in the future.
It said China and Pakistan had a time-tested friendship, and CPEC had greatly enhanced Pakistan’s energy, logistical, and physical infrastructure capabilities.
“The benefits of CPEC are widely distributed throughout Pakistan,” the ministry said.
It said both sides were fully resolved to harness the investments in infrastructure for economic growth, particularly in export-oriented industries, agriculture productivity, and natural resource management, enhancing partnerships to address the concerns of climate change and sustainable development.