ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national security adviser Dr. Moeed Yusuf invited neighboring states to invest in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Tuesday, reported the Associated Press of Pakistan, saying the project was a “game changer” and had the potential of changing the region’s economic geography.
The multibillion-dollar corridor project, which was launched in 2013 and provides a framework for greater regional integration, has mainly focused on infrastructure development and power generation ventures across Pakistan.
It is part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that aims to link Asia, Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks to ensure sustained economic progress by increasing commerce and trade.
Pakistan has already stepped up its engagements with the Central Asian republics, hoping to tap the region’s $90 billion export market by offering its landlocked economies access to sealanes via the shortest possible route through its southwestern Gwadar port city.
Discussing the significance of the corridor plan, Yusuf said “CPEC was not merely a name for a road or railway system but a far-reaching mega project which would usher in an ‘economic revolution,’” the APP said.
“The security adviser said that special economic zones would promote industrialization in the country and help to attract more investment,” the report added.
He also maintained the China-Pakistan bilateral ties were gaining strength with each passing year.
Last month, the chairman of Pakistan’s CPEC authority Khalid Mansoor said Chinese companies were not satisfied with the performance of the country’s state institutions and their pace of work on the corridor project.
However, Pakistan’s planning minister Asad Umar denied that CPEC had slowed down and maintained the current administration had completed several projects under the China-Pakistan bilateral economic framework.
More recently, Prime Minister Imran Khan said his government would expedite work on CPEC while acknowledging it had either been halted or slowed down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistani national security advisor invites neighbors to invest in CPEC
https://arab.news/yt74m
Pakistani national security advisor invites neighbors to invest in CPEC
- Dr. Moeed Yusuf says special economic zones under the corridor project will promote industrialization in the country
- Pakistan is already negotiating trade deals with Central Asian states in a bid to tap the region’s $90 billion export market
Pakistan Air Force conducts successful test of air-launched cruise missile
- The indigenously developed ‘Taimoor’ missile has a range of 600 kilometers and carries a conventional warhead
- The missile is designed to fly at low altitudes, which enables it to evade hostile air, missile defense systems
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has successfully conducted a test of an air-launched cruise missile, ‘Taimoor,’ the Pakistani military said on Saturday, marking another significant milestone in advancement of national aerospace and defense capabilities.
The indigenously developed Taimoor weapon system is capable of engaging enemy land and sea targets with high precision. The missile has a range of 600 kilometers and carries a conventional warhead.
The missile test comes months after a brief but intense military conflict between Pakistan and India in which the nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missile and artillery fire and deployed drones and fighter jets.
Equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and guidance system, Taimoor is designed to fly at very low altitudes, enabling it to effectively evade hostile air and missile defense systems.
“Its precision-strike capability significantly enhances the conventional deterrence and operational flexibility of Pakistan Air Force, further strengthening the country’s overall defense posture,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
“The successful flight test underscores the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance achieved by Pakistan’s defense industry.”
The missile’s launch was witnessed by senior officers of the armed forces along with distinguished scientists and engineers, who played a pivotal role in the development of this advanced weapon system.
PAF’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu congratulated the scientists, engineers and the entire PAF team on this remarkable achievement, lauding their professional excellence, dedication and unwavering commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s defense capabilities.
“The air chief reaffirmed that such accomplishments are a testament to the nation’s resolve to achieve technological self-sufficiency and maintain a credible conventional deterrent in the evolving regional security environment,” the ISPR said.
“The successful test of the Taimoor weapon system reflects Pakistan Air Force’s continued pursuit of operational readiness, technological superiority and national security objectives.”
Pakistan has placed greater emphasis on battle readiness in recent months. On Dec. 15, Pakistan Navy test-fired surface-to-air missile in the northern Arabian Sea.
Prior to that, Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir visited frontline garrisons of Gujranwala and Sialkot to observe a field training exercise involving tanks and drones, where he had highlighted the importance of technological adaptability, saying modern warfare required agility, precision, situational awareness and rapid decision-making.
