Daily Times

Pakistan and China on Friday agreed to make joint efforts to turn the region free from the menace of drugs. The promise was made during a meeting between Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), Chinese Embassy, Pang Chunxue and Minister for SAFRON & Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi at the Ministry of Narcotics Control.

Shehryar Afridi said that China is a resilient and a proud nation. He said China-Pakistan friendship should be a model of friendship in world diplomacy.

He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) should be turned into the first drug-free route of the world and Pakistan had fortified its borders to choke down narcotics trade.

“In narcotics control, we need to learn from best practices of China. We need to enter into collaboration with China to stop the flow of illicit drug trade from Afghanistan to the world. Synthetic drugs are targeting our youth and are the biggest challenge. World cooperation is a must to stop the drugs flow from Afghanistan to rest of the world,” he said.

The minister said that China’s role in supporting Pakistan’s stand on Indian occupation of Kashmir and FATF proved China was Pakistan’s iron brother and a time-tested friend. He said that since drugs were biggest threat “to our future generations, we have to jointly fight this menace”.

He said that Kohat was the gateway to southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Chinese investments in Kohat would help generate thousands of jobs around the western route of CPEC. He said the western route of the CPEC provides the shortest route to Gwadar and there is a need to invest in and around western route so as development bring in employment opportunities.

He said Pakistan helped China to connect to the world in 1960s and become a permanent member of the United Nations. He said Pakistan gave economic model to South Korea and in 1950s we gave economic aid to Germany too.

“We also helped UAE develop its airline. We have developed the world’s biggest databank on criminals involved in drugs and money laundering,” he said.

Afridi said that Pakistan is catering to the needs of five million refugees including three million Afghan refugees and two million Bengalis and Beharis.

He said Pakistan was the only state that according to the UN’s recommendation had mainstreamed the refugee and today around 68 percent refugees lived outside camps.

“We are providing the refugees scholarships and free of cost visas. Refugees need assistance and support from the world,” he added.

Ms Pang said China and Pakistan have made very good progress in the CPEC’s second phase. “We are focusing on industrial cooperation, agriculture development and social sector. The JCC went good. We have also very good cooperation and support each other on international issues. Our friendship is deep rooted and it has a legacy. We are working on Special Economic Zones that would provide job opportunities for local youth which would bring in regional development. We have also good cooperation in anti-narcotics operations,” she added. “We appreciate Pakistan’s efforts for refugees. We will coordinate in future to assist the refugees,” she concluded.