ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the authorities to expedite the process of implementing the agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) made with the Chinese government and Chinese companies, saying that any further delay would not be tolerated.

“China is a time-tested friend of Pakistan who helped Pakistan in every hour of need, said Mr Shehbaz while chairing a review meeting regarding Pak-China cooperation at the PM House.

The prime minister pointed out that the transfer of the Chinese industry to Pakistan would help improve the country’s overall economy, increase Pakistan’s exports, and create new employment opportunities.

During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the progress of different projects launched with Chinese cooperation.

The prime minister was told that the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway would be completed through a Public-Private Partnership.

It was informed that the plan to send 1,000 students for modern agricultural vocational training at government expense had been completed. The first batch of students was sent to China at the beginning of this academic year, while the next batch would be sent to modern Chinese agricultural universities after learning Chinese in Pakistan.

A comprehensive road map regarding the transfer of Chinese industries to Pakistan was presented at the meeting.

“Around 78 Pakistani companies have initially expressed deep interest in cooperation for the transfer of Chinese industries to Pakistan,” the meeting was informed. The Board of Investment also presented a comprehensive report on the progress and action plan which was appreciated by the PM.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2024