KARACHI: Senator Mushahid Hussain has said if the true potential of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (Cpec) is exploited, Pakistan will not need bailouts from the International Monetary Fund to sustain its economy.

He made these remarks during a visit to various energy projects in Sindh being built as part of the Cpec.

According to a press release, Mr Hussain called Cpec the “single most transformative initiative for economic development in the last 30 years”.

“Pakistan has huge natural resources, including mineral wealth, natural gas and maritime wealth which needs to be exploited for the blue economy,” he said.

He added that Thar alone has 175 billion tonnes of coal reserves and now thanks to Cpec, this “black gold” was contributing to the national economy.

The delegation visited the Power China project at Port Qasim and the newly-established power plant in Thar.

The delegation was told that the Port Qasim power plant had contributed over $600 million in taxes and duties and the power plant in Thar generated over 12,000 jobs for locals.

The senator lauded the Cpec and called it a ‘guarantor of a better tomorrow for Pakistan’.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2023