CPEC helpful for eliminating poverty, says former Pakistani PM

BEIJING - The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a key pioneering project of Belt and Road initiative, creating opportunities for eliminating poverty for the locals, said former Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

While expressing his views to a Chinese newspaper on Friday, he said that he believed the Belt and Road vision of Chinese President Xi had brought innovation and energy to the development of enterprises.

Moreover, this project not only promotes local economic development but also helps improve the local infrastructure condition and many people have thus obtained employment opportunities, he added.

The former investment banker said that the multi-billion dollars CPEC had created opportunities for the locals to enjoy a more thriving life to eradicate poverty.

Admitting that Pakistan lacked resources, the financial expert said that the country needed assistance in the form of loans from other international players.

CPEC will be helpful for Pakistanis by promoting infrastructure construction, economic development and to promote bilateral relations, he added.

Aziz, who also held the position of finance minister in Pervaiz Musharaf's regime also appreciated United Kingdom’s International Development Department (DFID) to provide financing for Pakistan’s infrastructure construction and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which has projects in Pakistan for water conservancy and road construction.

At the Boao forum, multinational companies expressed willingness to actively participate in the “One Belt and One Road” initiative and Aziz also said in his speech that the BRI had created global shared growth and prosperity opportunities so that everyone can benefit from it, receiving extensive attention.