CPEC funds increased up to $57bn, no change in route: president

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday said funds for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have been enhanced from US$46 billion dollars to over US$57 billion dollars.

Addressing a function in connection with birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Peshawar on Friday, he said destiny of the nation will change with completion of the CPEC project.

The president clarified that no change has been made in the route of CPEC and all parts of the country will benefit from this huge project. He said new projects have also been included in CPEC from all over the country.

He asked the youth to utilize the opportunities being generated by CPEC. He said the central Asian states have also expressed willingness to join this project.

Mamnoon Hussain said future of Pakistan is very bright as the nation has succeeded in elimination of terrorism.

“Law and order situation in the country, including Karachi, has greatly improved as a result of successful operations,” he said.

He regretted that corruption plagued the society in the past but now the country is heading in the right direction.

On this occasion, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra lauded the role of security forces and general public in elimination of terrorism from society.

He said around 85 percent temporarily displaced persons of FATA have returned to their native areas but the process has now slowed down due to winter season.

The governor said the remaining TDPs will be sent back to their areas by March next year.