ANKARA, Turkey: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that Central Asian States and Turkey together could bring a boost to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
While interacting with the media representatives in the Turkish Capital Ankara, the prime minister said that our future vision focuses on establishing linkages with the Central Asian Republics from Khunjerab to China to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The prime minister said that during his meeting with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wide ranging issues including Syria, Russia, Islamic State (IS/Daesh), Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and enhancing economic cooperation came under discussion. He said that major development was happening in the Turkey-Pakistan cooperation.
Responding to a question, Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan was a well-wisher of Afghanistan and wanted stability and peace there.
“A peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and the region,” he said.
The prime minister further said that feasibility work was in under way on Peshawar-Kabul motorway while over 60 percent development work had been completed on Peshawar to Jalalabad highway.
Turning to internal situation, Nawaz Sharif said that there was a marked difference in load shedding between 2013 and 2017. He said that long power outages had immensely decreased and the industrial sector was being provided electricity without any outages.
Later, the prime minster left Ankara to Islamabad after three-day official visit to Turkey. He was seen off at airport by the Turkish Federal Minister for Sports and Youth Akif Cagatay Kilic.
