Islamabad (Commonwealth Union)_Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives reported that the Chinese authorities have expressed their interest in investing in Pakistan’s mining sector.
“The Chinese are ready to set up a working group on the mining sector, therefore we must give them some tangible proposals,” said the minister at the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC). He stressed for there to be a solid, concrete plan that would attract the Chinese investors rather than a usual business approach sealed with a verbal promise.
In an effort to put his plans into action, Minister Iqbal directed the Power Division to fast-track the approvals for the Gilgit Baltistan energy policy, so enforcements under this banner could be pushed forward. He also added the production of solar panels for exporting and for domestic use to be a key discussion in the agenda of the meeting.
Pakistan and China have decided to set up six sub-working groups on communication technology infrastructure, application innovation, policy and regulation, HR development, cyber security, and radio spectrum regulation. This is especially because some projects which were previously dormant have now been revived by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The respective ministries shared their deliverable proposals of projects after conducting their Joint Working Groups (JWGs) which would now be taken up in JCC with the Chinese authorities.
The Pakistan-China Business Forum was officially established during the JCC with a promise to long-term commitment in sectors like energy, transport, information technology, socio-economic development, industrial cooperation, science and technology, transport infrastructure and international cooperation. There are high expectations with regard to deliverables from both parties, and the prospect of immense economic growth provided that this partnership is fruitful in the long run. Raw materials derived from this mining project will be used for improved infrastructure and overall development.