Visit to China has been successful; the formal announcement of CPEC Phase Two will be made at the upcoming meeting of the NDRC, says Shehbaz Sharif.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that the upcoming meeting of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will formally announce the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with 85 percent of the investment coming from China and 15 percent from Pakistan. He added that Pakistan seeks to strengthen its strategic partnership with China while also improving relations with the United States. The Prime Minister condemned the Israeli attack on Qatar, announced the imposition of a Climate Emergency and Agricultural Emergency, and said the nation is proud of its martyrs. He stressed that terrorists and mischief-makers must be identified and eliminated.

Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said that his recent visit to China was successful and the business conference held during the visit was highly productive and effective. He made it clear that delays and sluggishness in development projects will not be tolerated. He noted that China has become an economic and military power, a reality witnessed firsthand. During the visit, he attended the SCO summit and held bilateral meetings. At the upcoming NDRC meeting, the formal announcement of CPEC Phase Two will be made, which will cover agriculture, B2B investment, Special Economic Zones, and the financial model of the Karakoram Highway. Joint projects worth $8.5 billion were finalized in Beijing, which he termed as encouraging.

The Prime Minister further said that several MoUs in the field of minerals have been signed with the United States, which will bring investment into Pakistan. “We are working to improve ties with the US while consolidating our strategic partnership with China. Pakistan must maintain a balance in its foreign relations. Only through honesty, hard work, and dedication can we earn respect in the world,” he emphasized.

He said the recent monsoon rains and floods have caused large-scale destruction, affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and Punjab, while floodwaters are now entering Sindh’s valleys. He called the unusual rains and flooding a climate challenge and directed the Ministry of Climate Change to devise an action plan. Losses to crops will be assessed and discussed in the cabinet. He said that 1,000 lives have been lost in the floods, and both the federal and provincial governments must work together to address the damages.

The Prime Minister announced the enforcement of a Climate Emergency and an Agricultural Emergency, forming a committee under the chairmanship of Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal. The committee will include federal secretaries and chief secretaries of all four provinces.

Condemning the Israeli attack on Qatar, the Prime Minister said that he had spoken with the Amir of Qatar to express solidarity, and assured him that Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Qatar in this difficult time. He added that the Amir of Qatar thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their support.

Paying tribute to the sacrifices of the armed forces, the Prime Minister said that brave officer Major Adnan Aslam laid down his life fighting the Khawarij. He attended the funeral prayers and met the family of the martyred officer, noting that his father showed remarkable courage and pride in his son’s sacrifice. Major Adnan’s sisters also said that their brother made a great sacrifice.

The Prime Minister said that the nation is proud of its martyrs, and that the sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces are the reason the nation breathes in a free atmosphere today. “Eliminating terrorism and chaos is our national, political, and collective duty. We must identify and get rid of terrorists and mischief-makers. Recent tweets crossing all limits are unacceptable. Those who attempt to defame the country must be stopped,” he concluded.