ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China in May to restore Beijing’s confidence in Islamabad with regard to various projects, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday, citing a senior official.
Beijing is investing over $65 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major segment of its Belt and Road Initiative designed to give China a shorter, more secure trading route to the Middle East and beyond, while also boosting Pakistan’s economy.
Since its initiation in 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects. But the undertaking has also been hit by Pakistan struggling to keep up its financial obligations as well as attacks on Chinese targets by militants.
Rana Mashhood, chairman of Prime Minister’s Youth Program, said PM Sharif wanted to make Pakistan a partner in economic development, which was why he was striving to bring investment from Pakistan’s friendly countries.
“From May 14, the Prime Minister will make an official visit to the People’s Republic of China, which will restore the confidence of the brotherly neighboring country and the CPEC project will move toward success quickly,” Mashhood was quoted as saying by the state-run APP news agency.
The comments came during his visit to China Window, a Chinese cultural center, in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. On the occasion, Mashhood visited different galleries at the center, signed the friendship wall and recorded his comments in the visitor’s book.
Beijing has been one of Islamabad’s most reliable foreign partners in recent years, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often-struggling neighbor. In July last year, China granted Pakistan a two-year rollover on a $2.4 billion loan, giving the debt-saddled nation much-needed breathing space as it tackled a balance-of-payments crisis.
But ties have been strained by numerous hurdles in recent years, including scaled-back CPEC projects and attacks on Chinese workers in Pakistan. In the latest attack, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan on March 26.
Mashhood appreciated the establishment of the Chinese cultural center in Peshawar and said it would be a pivotal hub for further enhancing the bond between Pakistan and China, according to the APP report.
Recognizing the importance of foreign languages for the country’s youth, the official said he had instructed relevant institutions to initiate language programs tailored to meet the diverse needs of different countries.
“He specifically mentioned plans to include the Chinese language in the programs offered by the National Commission for Technical and Vocational Training,” the report read.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China in May — state media
https://arab.news/6crrh
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China in May — state media
- The development comes amid efforts to restore China’s confidence in Islamabad regarding various projects
- Scaled-back CPEC projects, attacks on Chinese nationals have lately strained ties between the two countries
IAEA approves safeguards for Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear power plant unit — FO
- Move reflects world’s confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful use of nuclear energy, non-proliferation, says FO
- Says after completion, power plant’s unit will provide substantial source of low-carbon electricity to the national grid
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Wednesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board of governors has approved a safeguards agreement with Islamabad for a unit of its Chashma nuclear power plant, reflecting the world’s growing confidence in the South Asian country’s commitment to peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Under a safeguards agreement, the IAEA has the right and obligation to ensure that safeguards are applied on all nuclear material in the territory, jurisdiction or control of a state to verify that such material is not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
The agreement pertains to Unit 5 of the Chashma nuclear power plant located in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province. The plant will have a gross capacity to generate 1,200 megawatts, with its pressurized water reactor expected to become operational by 2030, the foreign office said.
“This important development reflects the international community’s continued confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and its adherence to global non-proliferation and safeguards obligations,” the statement said.
It said after completion, the plant’s Unit 5 will provide a substantial source of low-carbon electricity to Pakistan’s national grid, contributing to energy security, climate goals and sustainable economic growth.
Over the past year, nuclear power accounted for 18.3 percent of Pakistan’s national electricity mix and 34 percent of the country’s total low-carbon electricity generation.
Pakistan currently operates six nuclear power plants with a combined installed capacity of 3,530 megawatts, the foreign office said.
“With more than 100 reactor-years of operational experience, Pakistan maintains a strong record of safe, secure and fully safeguarded nuclear power operations in line with international standards,” the statement included.
Despite contributing less than one percent to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, Pakistan is ranked among the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change effects.
Torrential rains and floods in 2022 and 2025 wreaked havoc across the country, killing thousands and inflicting damages of billions of dollars on the country.
