Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also scheduled to visit China from May 23 to 26 to deepen bilateral ties further and attend events related to the anniversary celebrations. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Chinese business delegation has met with President Asif Ali Zardari here and expressed interest in investing USD 1 billion to establish a medical city in Pakistan, according to a media report.

Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project which was termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy.

The delegation of Chinese investors during a meeting with Zardari on Thursday outlined their plans to invest USD 1 billion into creating the medical city in Karachi’s Dhabeji Economic Zone which is outside Pakistan’s biggest city and financial hub.

The medical city would be Pakistan’s first fully integrated pharmaceutical and medical ecosystem.

Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) which is tasked with the running of the Dhabeji Economic Zone said in a statement that the pledge by the Chinese investors is an example of the growing economic ties between the two countries.

The meeting which was also attended by Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Chinese Consul General was held after successful negotiations between the Sindh government and the conglomerate of Chinese investors.

President Zardari, according to the statement, highlighted the importance of fostering deeper economic and trade cooperation between Pakistan and China.

The statement said that the Chinese delegation also showed interest not only in the health sector but also in several other key areas, including agriculture, livestock, energy, transport, and manufacturing.

The President also told the government is committed to facilitate and provide cooperation to Chinese investments in Pakistan.

“We welcome Chinese investors and are determined to provide them with every possible support,” he added.

The Sindh Chief Minister also told the investors that the government had introduced Chinese language courses in the province to remove language barriers and enhance cultural ties between the two countries.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Chinese and Pakistani flag on entrance to Karakoram Highway
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Pakistan relaxed bidding rules to directly award a $2 billion contract to China for the construction of a strategically important road, according to a media report on Friday.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb-led Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet on Thursday approved to invoke a special rule to exempt the requirement for the international competitive bidding to award a contract to Chinese firms for the construction of a section of the Karakoram Highway, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The Thakot-Raikot section of the highway is critical to keep China-Pakistan connected through the land route.

The committee considered a summary of the Ministry of Communications regarding the Execution of Framework Agreement between China and Pakistan on Realignment of KKH (Thakot-Raikot) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to a statement by the Ministry of Finance.

After detailed discussions and deliberations, and in order to comply with the codal requirements, the committee allowed the Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority to proceed with provisions of the Framework Agreement in accordance with provisions of rule-5 of Public Procurement Rules, 2004 for procurement of construction of realignment of KKH (Thakot-Raikot Section 241 KM) project under CPEC (Phase-II), it added.

Pakistan had signed the framework agreement for the construction of Thakot-Raikot section of Karakoram Highway in June during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing. China will give a $2 billion loan for the project.

The existing road portion will be submerged due to the construction of the Diamer-Basha, Dasu, Azad Pattan and Thakot dams along the road.

According to the framework agreement, the Chinese companies will be responsible for the engineering design, procurement and construction (EPC) and supervision work. The identification of the Chinese companies for the project will culminate in selection of one company or a consortium after due negotiations on all technical and financial considerations with the Pakistani institutions responsible for the project, according to the agreement.

China will provide a list of the recommended Chinese companies and Pakistan will select one of those for the construction work. Pakistan will use Chinese equipment for the construction of the project.

The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) law binds the government to give contracts through competitive bidding. However, the PPRA rule 5 states that whenever these rules are in conflict with an obligation or commitment of the federal government arising out of an international treaty or an agreement with a state, or any international financial institution the provisions of such international treaty or agreement shall prevail to the extent of such conflict.

The committee also approved to relax competitive process conditions for hiring of foreign consultants for the construction of Chakdara-Timergara road connecting Peshawar with Chitral.

The Export-Import Bank of South Korea has given a USD 49 million loan for the project but on the condition that the consultants will be hired as per its desire.

The Chairman ECC Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb directed that in future no foreign loans should be taken for those road projects, which cannot generate enough revenues to pay off these liabilities.

Pakistan’s external financing position remains thin and the government took a couple of incentives to ease pressure on the foreign exchange reserves, according to the paper.

Maryam Nawaz.
| Photo Credit: AP

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday said that Chinese nationals living in Pakistan get “resentful” when they are asked to follow security protocols, a week after five Chinese engineers were among six killed in a suicide bombing in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Ms. Maryam, the daughter of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who became the first-ever woman Chief Minister of a province in Pakistan, while addressing her maiden Apex Committee meeting here said “the Chinese living here do not want to follow security discipline”.

“They are resentful when they are asked to follow security protocols. They don’t want to come under any discipline as they fret over it,” she added.

The meeting was also attended by Corps Commander Lahore Lt Gen Syed Aamer Raza and other senior military officers.

Ms. Maryam, however, expressed her government’s resolve to provide fool-proof security to the Chinese nationals working on development projects in Punjab. The meeting also condemned the killing of Chinese engineers in Bisham.

Five Chinese engineers — and their Pakistani driver — were killed in the suicide bombing last week while travelling between Islamabad and a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The bus was attacked in Bisham city of Shangla district.

Ms. Maryam said terrorism has taken the shape of difficult warfare. “Terrorists got digitalised and we need to be ahead of them on such platforms. Besides, terrorists have the latest weapons and technology. They have the US weapons which they got in Afghanistan. The weapons coming from Afghanistan are a big challenge for the law enforcement agencies,” she said.

The 50-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party leader added that the youth is also being brainwashed and recruited by terrorists. “And social media is one of the major tools being used for the purpose,” Maryam said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all the security agencies to ensure fool-proof security arrangements for the Chinese nationals working on various projects in the country.

According to a statement, the Prime Minister said he had decided to “personally review the meetings with respect to the overall security of the country, especially the security of the Chinese citizens”.

Mr. Sharif said the war against the menace of terrorism will continue till its complete eradication from the country.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif interacts with engineers of the China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) working at the Dasu Hydropower project in Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on April 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 1 said his government would ensure foolproof security measures for the Chinese nationals working across the country, days after five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide attack in the country’s restive northwest.

A vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in the remote Besham area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on last Tuesday, killing five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver.

“I want to assure you that the government of Pakistan will not leave any stone unturned, will not spare any opportunity to make sure you get the best possible security for your families and yourself,” Mr. Sharif told a gathering of the Chinese engineers and workers at the site of Dasu Hydropower Project in Kohistan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province during a visit to express solidarity with them.

He declared exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the March 26 incident, so that it would be a lesson and that no one could commit such a dastardly act in future.

At least 12 persons, including the mastermind, have been arrested in connection with the blast.

No group had claimed responsibility for the terror attack. However, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Counter-Terrorism Department blamed the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan for the assault.

Terming it a job of the enemies of Pakistan, Prime Minister Sharif said that it was a dastardly act on part of the perpetrators who found every opportunity to harm this friendship which was strengthening by each passing day and expanding and moving forward with speed.

“That is the reason enemies do not spare any opportunity to damage and create a wedge between the two iron brothers,” he added.

The prime minister said that the sole purpose of his visit was to offer sincere condolences and express feelings to the Chinese brothers and sisters in Dasu.

He said it was a cowardly act on part of the terrorists to kill innocent Chinese and a Pakistani for no other reason except to disturb and damage the exceptional friendship between Pakistan and China.

Mr. Sharif said that his government would not leave any stone unturned and would not spare any opportunity to ensure the best possible security measures for the Chinese families and nationals.

He said that after the incident, he had visited the Chinese embassy immediately to offer condolences on behalf of his government and the people of Pakistan to the Chinese leadership and the Chinese people.

He informed that a joint investigation team was also constituted on the same day and its report was due any time, adding that his government would not waste time to act upon the recommendations of the inquiry.

Besides, a high level security meeting was held on March 27 in which they discussed better coordination with the provincial governments over the additional security measures, he added.

The prime minister said that Pakistan-China friendship would march forward in unison and the enemies of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and this exceptional relationship would be defeated completely.

Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong said that the prime minister visited the embassy and reassured security for the Chinese nationals. He also expressed gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for expressing solidarity, adding that they were ready to work together to further build their strategic partnership.

The gathering also observed 30-second silence for those who lost lives in the tragic incident.

Federal Ministers Amir Muqam and Attaullah Tarar as well as members of the Chinese company and senior officials were also present on the occasion.