CM Maryam Nawaz, Chinese official discuss expanding ties

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday met Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee and Communist Party Secretary and Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), He Zhongyou, during her visit to China.

The CM thanked He Zhongyou for the warm welcome and appreciated his “visionary leadership”. She congratulated him on the 150th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and the completion of 75 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations. The meeting focused on expanding economic cooperation between Punjab and Xinjiang, particularly in agriculture, industry, technology and infrastructure. The two sides discussed cooperation in healthcare, business and economic affairs, as well as people-to-people exchange programmes.

The chief minister proposed cooperation in water-efficient farming, drip irrigation and the use of high-quality seeds to improve crop yields in water-stressed areas. She said Punjab was keen to benefit from China’s experience in using modern scientific methods to address water shortages in drought-prone and arid regions.

She said Punjab had the distinction of being Pakistan’s “food basket” and that effective measures and improved governance were helping address poverty and deprivation. She proposed launching pilot projects in different parts of Punjab, in collaboration with China, for the conservation of water resources.

The chief minister said renewable energy was among the provincial government’s priorities and technical education was being promoted in Punjab’s educational institutions. She appreciated He Zhongyou’s initiative to host the sixth international media tour in Urumqi and discussed the possibility of providing online technical assistance to Pakistani students.

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz has expressed grief over the death of 14 newborn babies in a fire at the PIMS Hospital. The chief minister conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved parents and said the loss of innocent lives was an extremely painful and tragic incident. She directed the commissioner and deputy commissioner to ensure the availability and functionality of firefighting equipment in all hospitals. She stressed that all necessary safety measures be ensured to prevent such tragic incidents.