LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Tuesday urged the government to deal with the conspiracies being hatched against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through stringent proactive measures, as the project was gaining attraction of the world with each passing day. “Antagonists of the project are actually the enemies of progress and prosperity of the entire region,” a statement quoted LCCI acting President Amjad Ali Jawa and Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan as saying. “Anti-Pakistani elements are working day and night to hamper the economic growth of Pakistan,” the statement added. The LCCI head honchos said that the CPEC would start a new era of economic development not only in Pakistan but in entire South Asia. “The CPEC should not be seen as an ordinary project, as it will connect a number of countries, and Pakistan – being the hub of the project – will be more beneficiary than any other country”, the LCCI office-bearers said, adding that anxiety among anti-Pakistan elements regarding the CPEC was an ample evidence of enormous importance and usefulness of this mega project. They appreciated law enforcement agencies for sacrificing for the cause of the country. They said that anti-social elements should be tackled with iron hand. They urged the government to ensure timely completion of the CPEC. “It will not be wrong to say that the economic benefits of the project are hard to estimate. The project has the potential to work as a big push theory of economics; therefore, it should be handed with extra care.” They said that although both the governments – Chinese and Pakistani – were closely collaborating in this project, private sectors of Pakistan and China would have an even bigger role to play in the multi-billion project. The LCCI office-bearers said that the CPEC was an overall cooperation platform with a focus on long-term development of bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. They said that this mega project should be completed at any cost, as it has the undoubted potential to turn Pakistan into a pivot of regional cooperation. They added that the CPEC would enable Pakistan to harvest humongous economic benefits, which could considerably strengthen its regional power and esteem. The project, they said, would bring development and prosperity to the people of around ten developing nations.