GUANGZHOU: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said that he would set up a 'China Cell' in his office, tasked with supervision of all the development projects to be executed with the Chinese cooperation in Pakistan.
He said the Cell would be of specific nature, overseeing and pursuing the execution of such development projects to steer the country out of the present issues.
Informing the media representatives about his visit here, the prime minister said that he had held very fruitful meetings with the Chinese leadership including President Xi Liping and Premier Li Keqiang.
He said that they had held hours' long meetings with the Chinese corporations and companies over the energy and infrastructure issues and they too sensed that Pakistan was taking extraordinary interest in these projects.
“I ask them to form a task force, we have constituted one to be headed by federal minister Ahsan Iqbal while our hosts also formed the similar one. We want the completion of such projects in the earliest,” he added.
He also urged for increasing the current trade volume of Pakistan with China which stood around 12 billion dollars. PM Sharif regretted that the steps which were required during the last decade had not been taken and reiterated that tough steps should be taken to address the issues, as Pakistan was currently facing law and order situation, energy crises and other issues.
The prime minister referring to delay in execution of 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum hydro power project, observed that it was put as back-burner during the last three decades. Nobody had ever thought about it, as they only sat idle with crossed fingers, he added.
The prime minister declared that responsible should be held accountable for showing such slackness towards the important power project of national interest. He said for tackling such complex issues, they would have to take tough decisions in the larger national interests.
The country did not require such civil servants or concerned officials who had not been pushing forth the completion of development projects, rather the fresh talented blood should be injected through civil service 'who have missionary zeal' and realisation for the significance of such projects, he emphasised.
The prime minister observed that they should have no hesitation in bringing such lot who could plug the gap and desire to work only for the cause of the country.