‘Pakistan needs to rise above CPEC and connect with other parts of the world’

ISLAMABAD: National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua has said Pakistan had great geo-strategic importance and the capacity to improve peace and stability in the region and become a massive trade corridor.

Speaking at a gathering here, he said, “We are working on regional connectivity. Pakistan is investing in peace and cooperating with other countries for economic prosperity of the region. Pakistan can become a paradise for investment.”

“Pakistan is the biggest investor in peace and on numerous occasions, it stood for peace and stability in the region and the world. Pakistan is a peace loving country and is a strategic partner of the United States, China, Russia, Central Asian Republics and Africa. Pakistan has huge economic potential, and wants cooperation and not competition and confrontation with others,” he added.

He said now the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan was well protected.

Pakistan has to rise above China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and connect with Africa and other parts of the world.

Asia, he said, had an important role to play as it had 60 percent of the population, it connected with two continents of Europe and Africa. The Indian Ocean was main route for connectivity of the region, he added.

Nasser said Pakistan was directly connected to 85.9 percent of the world. Pakistan was a great idea, spirit and indeed a reality, the Security Advisor said.

He said in the past years, security of Pakistan was challenged in three areas, including Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Balochistan and Karachi.

“We have been constantly fighting terrorism. We launched Zarb-e-Azab and cleared FATA. An operation was also successfully conducted in Karachi – the economic hub – and peace was restored in the city and life has returned to normal.”

Nasser said Balochistan could become the industrial and trade corridor of the world. The province had eight common markets with neighbouring countries.

Pakistan needed to take steps to ensure its water security by enhancing awareness about water conservation, he added.

During the question and answer session, he said political stability guaranteed security and political change came through a process. “We will be going through the process of election and hopefully right people will be chosen,” he added.