Pakistan committed to advancing CPEC for prosperity: senate's deputy chairman

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar has reaffirmed his country's resolve to advance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), calling it "the key to the development and prosperity of the people of Pakistan, especially Balochistan."

Speaking at an event titled "CPEC in My Eyes" in Islamabad, Nasar hailed China as a "brother" that has stood by Pakistan in every difficult time.

"The journey from Quetta to Gwadar that once took 34 hours can now be completed in 12 hours via road, that is the progress CPEC has brought to ordinary people," he said, adding that all stakeholders in Pakistan are now "on one page" to drive growth through the corridor.

Nasar underscored the need to further engage communities in agriculture, education, and trade under the CPEC so that "they will not only benefit but also help strengthen Pakistan-China cooperation."

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong said that with support of leaders of both countries, the corridor has been promoted and achieved fruitful results, helping Pakistan consolidate its development foundation and unleash its development potential.

China and Pakistan will work together to build an upgraded version of the corridor and accelerate the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future, he added.