ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit China in the first week of November this year. During his visit, Pakistan will seek rescheduling of Chinese loans and signing of multiple development projects involving investments from China, according to sources.
Officials said that both sides are doing ground work for the upcoming visit of PM Shehbaz and signing of various projects.
The important projects and MoUs which both countries will take up during PM Shehbaz Sharif’s visit are opening of RMB Account; rescheduling of debt; cyber security; flood relief and rehabilitation; relocation of Chinese industries in the SEZs; 10,000-MWp solar projects; purchase of LNG; ML-1 project; and Karachi Circular Railway; and Agricultural development.
According to sources, Tariq Fatemi, special adviser of Prime Minister, recently held an important meeting with Chinese Ambassador. Advisor to Prime Minister on Establishment Ahad Cheema, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Jehanzeb Khan and Zafaruddin Mahmood also accompanied Tariq Fatemi in the meeting and they evolved agenda for the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Beijing in November this year.
Importantly, the United States has already asked Pakistan to get Chinese loans rolled over to utilize funds for flood relief in Pakistan. The United States had already rescheduled $320 million worth of markup payment on loans by Pakistan.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
