Saudi Arabia to invest for upliftment of basic infrastructure in Pakistan: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have struck deals for three grants. Saudi Arabia would invest for development of basic infrastructure in Pakistan, he said.

“These deals have been made in connection with the prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia,” he said while talking to media at Press Information Department (PID) office in Islamabad.

Fawad said a crucial delegation of Saudi Arabia would visit Pakistan on coming Sunday for investment purpose. Saudi Arabia would make huge investment in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said.

Read More: Qureshi, Saudi FM reinvigorate momentum to achieve mutual goals

He said fresh projects would be launched for development of basic infrastructure in Karachi.

“A task force has been formed for promotion of tourism in Pakistan. Coastal areas of Gwadar and Karachi would be developed for this purpose,” he said.

The information minister said the federal cabinet had decided to formulate a comprehensive policy on Afghan refugees.

“About two million Afghan refugees are registered while around 0.5 million unregistered Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan,” he said.

He said one part of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reforms had been completed and a big operation would be conducted against 100 big defaulters of the FBR.

The minister also informed that new chairman of Wage Board Award had been appointed.

He said ministers would not be able to recruit in their departments on personal favor.

Fawad Chaudhry said non-custom-paid vehicles would not be able to be used in FATA after June 30, 2023. Implementation of tax had been stopped in Fata for five years. The tribal areas had also been given exemption in sales tax, he added.

He apprised the media that thousands of kanals of land had been recovered in Islamabad from land mafia. “Implementation of law will give impetus to democracy,” he said.