Minister for Planning Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Monday has said that Western route of CPEC will be completed by 2018. He also said that Gwadar-Quetta road will be completed by next month, ahead of its scheduled time. He was addressing the opening session of the two International Business Conference and Exhibition (IBCE 2016) organized by University of Management and Technology (UMT).
Ahsan said work on Dera Ismail Khan-Quetta Road has also been initiated while the Dera Ismail Khan-Burhan Road will be completed by the year 2018. He also said that CPEC will bring prosperity to the backward and far off areas of country. He told that special attention has been given to Sindh and Balochistan in CPEC projects as the raw coal for the coal-run projects can easily be provided to plants in these two provinces.
He told that he had provided CPEC related documents to the Chief Minister of KP, Pervez Khattak at APC and is ready to visit Peshawar again to clear any point in this regard. The Minister said the Government has successfully tackled the challenge of terrorism and now the terrorists are on the run.
The Minister further told that Government is paying attention on the capacity building of students, to prepare them for the challenges of modern age. He said that we are living in century of innovative ideas and witnessing unprecedented changes in every sector of modern times.
He told the basic rationale behind holding of IBCE-2016 was to give a boost-up to Pakistan's economy, highlight various dimensions of CPEC, widen Government's linkages with overseas companies and business firms, bridge up the gap between academia and industry, set up a link between local and foreign companies, transfer latest technology and create opportunities for Pakistani youth .
IInur Cevik, chief advisor to Turkish President, while addressing the conference said that Pakistan and Turkey share special ties based on brotherly relations rather than on any strategic interests. He said that the survival of democracy is essential for progress and the people of Turkey have just foiled an attempt to derail democracy. Chief event to represent him in the event and share successful story of rapidly growing Turkish economy
Addressing the inaugural session, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad said that when we first took up the idea of organising international business conference and exhibition, we were met with skepticism. Why a university would want to be involved in this? But the fact is that if we want to develop the economy with a knowledge focus and bring about a strategic transformation, then we need a platform that converge all key players - policy makers, businesses, civil society members, academia and Government etc. Events like the IBCE are ideally suited to ignite and inspire young minds.
It is to be noted UMT's international business conference and exhibition is being organized to illustrate important sectors, which include clean energy, automobile, IT & telecom, textile, services, construction & housing, manufacturing, food & agriculture and fast-moving consumer goods.
More than 150 companies from China, Europe, Middle East, Korea, Malaysia, UAE and Turkey displayed their stalls in the exhibition to transfer latest technology and business ideas. The event was attended by provincial minister for industry Chaudhry Shafiq, Australian High Commissioner Margaret Admson, president Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Abdul Basit and Chief Executive Trade Development Authority S.M Munir.