CPEC would turn around economic outlook of region: Nawaz Sharif

Voicing confidence, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that once ready, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would turn around the economic outlook of the whole region.

Sharif's remarks came a day after Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, Zheng Xiaosong, said that political consensus is essential for fully exploiting the potential of the economic corridor.

"The law and order situation in the country is much improved and the backbone of extremist elements has been broken. The government is striving day and night to eliminate load-shedding, one of the biggest hurdles to economic growth. Completion of CPEC projects will turn around the economic outlook of the whole region," The Express Tribune quoted Sharif, as saying on the 68th death anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Talking about Jinnah, Sharif said that the best way of paying tribute to him is to sincerely strive for making Pakistan a peaceful, moderate, welfare and a developed Islamic state.

Considered a part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative, the CPEC covers Balochistan and Sindh provinces and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The Baloch activists, who have been protesting against the project, say that CPEC is causing much damage to the environment and would not benefit the people of the region but alleged that Balochistan's abundant resources are being diverted for Pakistan's most populous province Punjab.