LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will prove to be a game-changer for economic development of the country as China has made investment to the tune of billions of dollars in energy and other development projects under the CPEC. Talking to a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers here on Monday, Shehbaz said that a number of CPEC-related projects had been completed by the PML-N government, while many others were near to completion. The Chief Minister said that a sum of Rs 165 billion had been saved in three major gas-based electricity producing projects by ensuring transparency. He said that CPEC was a symbol of development and prosperity. The multi-billion dollar project, said the chief minister, has the capacity to benefit not only Pakistan but the entire region. With the completion of CPEC-related projects Pakistan will usher in an era of economic development Shehbaz said that the project would help eliminate extremism and terrorism. It would also play an effective role in resolving issues such as poverty and unemployment, he said, adding that the project would change the destiny of people of Pakistan. He said that growing investment in the country had created numerous opportunities of employment, thanks to CPEC. “We should collectively remove every obstacle in the way of the mega project,” he said, and vowed that no stone would be left unturned in completion of the projects related to the CPEC. The chief minister said that the economic corridor project would benefit all federating units, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. He claimed that the Punjab government had promoted corruption-free culture in the province. “Billions of rupees have been saved by ensuring transparency in different uplift schemes,” he added. Separately, the chief minister expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in a road accident on Hafizabad Road in Gujranwala. He expressed his heartfelt sympathies to the members of the bereaved families. The chief minister has also directed the administration to provide best healthcare facilities to the injured. He has also sought a report on the incident. Published in Daily Times, August 22nd 2017.