Islamabad, Aug 30: During a roundtable discussion titled “CPEC: Opportunities and Challenges,” which was hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in partnership with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad, experts emphasized that while CPEC is a project that will help Pakistan develop and build, there are forces that are determined to sabotage it.
They disclosed that certain anti-state groups are actively opposing CPEC and attempting to undermine this important regional development project. Economic development is the hallmark of the modern era, and regional cooperation is essential to it. For the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to succeed, the European Union, ASEAN, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are great role models.
Professor Dr. Zahid Anwar, a former pro-vice chancellor, dean of social sciences, and head of Peshawar University’s China Study Center, presided over the conversation. Additional speakers included Engineer Azizul Haq, Professor Dr. Fazal Rahman Qureshi, Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Khalil, Chairman of IRS, Professor Dr. Ghulam Qasim Marwat, Chairman of the Pakistan Study Department at Qurtuba University, and Professor Dr. Adnan Sarwar, former dean and chairman of the department of international relations at Peshawar University.
The speakers stressed that China is a reliable friend of Pakistan, as evidenced by the investments it is making in the country as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It’s important to comprehend the plots antagonistic forces are hatching to sabotage CPEC, in order to foil these nefarious plans, the country must put aside its differences.
The fact that 20,000 Pakistani students are presently studying in China for higher education was also mentioned by the speakers as evidence of the two countries’ close friendship. China has always supported Pakistan in difficult times and has never harbored bad intentions toward the country. CPEC includes the Peshawar-Kabul motorway. It was recommended that cultural and social disparities be recognized and that attempts be made by both parties to close these gaps when interacting with China.After the talk, there was a Q&A session when people asked the presenters questions.
