CPEC to be game-changer for Pak, entire region: PM Sharif

Hailing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that the project would not only serve as a "game-changer" for Islamabad, but also for the entire region by helping it rid of deprivation and bringing peace and prosperity.

Sharif was addressing the inaugural session of the two-day CPEC Summit and Expo to enhance awareness about the ambitious project.

Terming the project as a "new concept in diplomacy, Sharif said CPEC is a culmination of a decade-long friendship between Pakistan and China.

Recalling Chinese assistance to Pakistan following the devastating earthquake in 2005 and floods in 2010, he said that both nations never left each other in times of distress.

Terming Pakistan's relationship with China as "very special", he said that the two countries have always supported each other at international fora and was based on the basis of trust and honesty.

Talking about the USD 46 billion dollars CPEC project, he said the real impact was many times more adding, the project would not only improve Pakistan's own infrastructure but would also provide it the much needed know how, knowledge and expertise in new technologies.

He also added that the project will benefit all regions of Pakistan equally including Gilgit Baltistan and remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The summit was hosted by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform and marks the inking of historic $46bn CPEC project.