Pakistan to use Chinese model in poverty alleviation, anti-corruption: PM

BEIJING (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan wants to learn from Chinese experiences in poverty alleviation and anti-corruption to embark on a path of development and prosperity. Addressing a function at Central Party School, the prime minister said that the main priority of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government is to strengthen state institutions in order to improve governance and tackle the corruption. PM Khan appreciated the efforts of China on lifting 700 million people out of poverty in a short span of three decades. He said poverty alleviation is also an important goal for us, saying, “We want to learn the steps the Chinese took in order to improve the socio-economic status of its populace.” The prime minister said that Chinese have tackled the menace of corruption very effectively and Pakistan would like to benefit from their experience of overcoming white collar crime. Terming China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a great blessing for Pakistan, Imran Khan said that this mega project will change the outlook of the country in the coming years. He encouraged the Chinese investors to invest in the Special Economic Zones under CPEC. The prime minister said that Pakistan needs foreign investment to bridge its trade deficit. He said during his meetings with Chinese leaders and business executives, he feels confident that we will get out of our financial impasse soon. PM Khan said there is immense scope of cooperation between the two countries in various sectors. He said learning about the Chinese strategies in urban planning can be helpful for us as cities in Pakistan are growing fast. The prime minister said that Pakistanis have deep love and respect for China and our bilateral relation is both at government to government level as well as people to people level. “Whenever we needed help, China was always there to assist us,” he mentioned. “That is why China is termed the All Weather Friend to Pakistan,” he added. The prime minster assured that Pakistan has and will always standby China in every hour of need. He appreciated the warm welcome he received during his visit to China. Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had a meeting with Zhen Zhanmen, acting vice president Central Party School in Beijing. They discussed issues of mutual interest.