GILGIT: The Centre for Research on CPEC at the Karakoram International University (KIU) and the Centre of Excellence on CPEC Islamabad are jointly holding a daylong conference on ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – Prospects and Opportunities for Gilgit-Baltistan’ at the varsity’s Gilgit campus on Friday (Nov 3).

The conference aims to develop awareness and emphasise avenues of pragmatic cooperation into various dimensions of CPEC, including economic, political, strategic, social aspects paradigm shifts that will accompany the multibillion dollar project.

The conference will also seek to explore universities’ role in this mega project and to strengthen academic networking, extensive discussions and threadbare analysis of a wide range of subjects of interest and concern to all-weather strategic partnership between China and Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Interior Ahsan Iqbal will be the chief guest of the conference. Also, various other academics, intellectuals and eminent scholars will come together to pursue collaborative dialogue and knowledge exchange on various aspects of CPEC, its progress, and the way forward.

Meanwhile, the two newly-inducted members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Service Tribunal took oath of office on Monday.

Chairman GB Service Tribunal Mir Akhlaq Hussain administered the oath at a ceremony, which was also attended by Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman, ministers, members of GB Legislative Assembly, GB Council and judges.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2017