ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan needs support from Chinese investors in terms of investment and expertise in diverse fields.
Addressing the representatives of prominent Chinese investment companies on Monday, the prime minister said that Pakistan will provide every possible facility to Chinese investors.
He said that Pakistan wants to learn from Chinese experiences in the field of agriculture, industry and energy. He said that Pakistan is also interested in learning skills from China for the enrichment of its energy resources.
He added that Pakistan is looking towards China to seek support in every walk of life in a bid to ensure sustainable development. He added that Chinese development is a model to emulate in fields of industry, trade, information technology, and agriculture.
He said with a background of a trusted friendship between the two countries, it is an opportunity for Pakistan to learn from the Chinese experience about reforms in the areas of public interest. He emphasised the need for promoting bilateral trade by means of improving the level of exports and imports in diverse areas.
The prime minister said that Pak-China friendship is higher than Himalayas, deeper than ocean, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel. He thanked Chinese leadership particularly President Xi Jinping for initiating the game changer project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan. He regarded President Xi as a visionary leader and recalled that he had inked several projects along with then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to improve power generation in Pakistan aimed at addressing the energy crisis.
He expressed confidence that the friendship between Pakistan and China would grow with time for the benefit of their nations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on a three-day official visit to Turkey on Tuesday to further boost friendly ties with the brotherly country.
During the visit, the prime minister will have a tete-a-tete with President Erdogan. This would be followed by delegation-level talks.
Besides covering the entire gamut of Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations, the two leaders will exchange views on regional and international issues. Both leaders will address a joint press stakeout after their meeting.
This year, Pakistan and Turkey are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the visit, the prime minister of Pakistan and the president of Turkey would jointly unveil a logo, marking the commencement of celebrations of this important milestone in the long history of exceptional bilateral ties.
The Turkish ministers of foreign affairs, trade, and health would call on the prime minister during the visit.
The prime minister will have extensive interaction with leading Turkish businessmen and potential investors from diverse sectors. He will be hosted by the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB). The prime minister will also attend a Pakistan-Turkey Business Council Forum, hosted in collaboration with DEIK (Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board).
During these events, the prime minister will highlight Pakistan’s vast investment potential and encourage Turkish companies to invest in Pakistan and work to strengthen Pakistan-Turkey trade and economic ties.
A business delegation from Pakistan comprising representatives of leading companies across various sectors will travel separately to Turkey to participate in the business engagements. Prominent businessmen from Pakistan will participate in these events and will also hold Business to Business (B2B) meetings on the sidelines.
President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an was the first world leader to call the prime minister on 11 April 2022 to felicitate him. The two leaders also spoke on the telephone on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.
The relationship between Pakistan and Turkey is underpinned by structured institutional mechanisms. The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) is the primary platform at the leadership-level, which has been instrumental in further cementing bilateral relations. So far, six sessions of the HLSCC have taken place. The 7th session is slated to take place this year.
The historic and long-standing relations between Pakistan and Turkey are firmly anchored in common faith, shared history, and a glorious tradition of mutual support to each other on issues of core interest. The Turkish leadership and government have steadfastly supported the just cause of Kashmir. Turkey is an important and active member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.
The two countries have convergent views on a range of issues including peaceful and stable Afghanistan, Palestine, and countering Islamophobia.
A large number of Turkish companies have invested more than $1 billion USD in different sectors (construction, power, solid waste management, hygiene products, electronics and dairy etc) in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Turkey is part of a series of Pakistan’s renewed bilateral engagement with its traditional trusted friends and brotherly countries.
In a series of tweets on Monday, she said the visit is important not only for the development of bilateral relations, but also for cooperation in investment, trade, health, education, culture and other areas of mutual interest.
The minister said as the visit marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Shehbaz Sharif will unveil a commemorative plaque in this regard. The prime minister will also visit the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Meanwhile, taking notice of a sharp increase in flour price, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday strictly directed the authorities concerned to ensure availability of the commodity at the rate announced by the government.
The prime minister sought a report from the ministers as well as the ministries concerned and asked them to take punitive measures to ensure sale of the flour at the given price. “No one will be allowed to fleece the masses. The availability of flour at the price announced by the government should be ensured,” the prime minister directed. He instructed the ministries of food security and industries and the relevant departments to present a compliance report.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz has ordered to further improve the supply of flour at lower prices across Punjab.
Chairing a high-level meeting in Lahore on Monday, the chief minister directed strict monitoring of wheat grinding and flour supply in the market and said every penny of Rs200 billion subsidy should reach the common man. He said Police must monitor peripheral routes of Punjab to prevent smuggling of wheat and flour.
It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reduced the price of a 10-kg flour bag to Rs400 instead of Rs 550. However, the price of whole wheat flour has surged to a record level of Rs93 per kg following a surge in grain prices. Owners of wheat grinding mills, commonly known as Chakki, last week raised the price of whole wheat flour by Rs3/kg to Rs93 after the price of wheat jumped to Rs2,700 per 40kg against the official price of Rs2,200 per 40-kg. Similarly, the price of an 80-kg sack of fine flour, which is used for Naan and Khamiri Roti, has increased by Rs400 to Rs6,200. – TLTP