CPEC sailing smoothly against all odds says FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that China is working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC ) project and it will continue to do so, adding if the G7 countries want to initiate the same sort of projects, it will be a good competition.

The minister’s remarks came during a media talk on Sunday in response to a question about the Group of Seven (G7) countries’ announced plans for a major infrastructure project for developing nations in a bid to rival China’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as “One Belt, One Road.”

Qureshi said that Pakistan will be glad to witness development in underdeveloped countries. “China has no threats from the projects pertaining to investment in the countries,” he added.

He blamed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for spoiling the case of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav for Pakistan. “We are implementing the recommendations of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and we took measures on their advice,” he added. He further stated that India didn’t want consular access to Jadhav, rather wanted to drag Pakistan to the ICJ once again.

He hoped that the, “Opposition members will not exhibit a lack of understanding [on the issue] and will be cognisant of Indian’s wicked ways.”

Qureshi said the government didn’t believe in retaliation, but in clear and transparent accountability. “We don’t believe in subjecting someone to insult or accountability unnecessarily,” he said, adding that “those going through accountability will be given the opportunity to explain.” However, the minister made it clear that, “[Prime Minister] Imran won’t hand-out NROs or sign a deal [for personal gains].”

Responding to opposition’s criticism on the budget, he said, “We are not going to bring a mini-budget” and added that, “The [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader] Ahsan Iqbal should first review the budget book.”

Regarding the ongoing controversy about whether the government had decided to give airbases to the US in the wake of its troops’ pullout from Afghanistan, Qureshi reiterated that, “Pakistan doesn’t intend to give its airbases to the US.”To a question, the Foreign Minister said District Coordination Committees are being constituted in all districts of Punjab on the direction of the prime minister.