PTI govt voicing our enemies on CPEC: Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif expressed displeasure on Monday, at the PTI government over ‘irresponsibility’ about China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The former Punjab chief minister taking into account the circulating Financial Times report of the government reviewing the CPEC agreement, on his official Twitter handle voiced his displeasure and termed the government ‘irresponsible’.

“People of Pakistan are shocked at the irresponsibility of PTI government, which is trying to undermine Pakistan-China strategic partnership, by speaking in the voice of our enemies on CPEC! We will resist & reject such conspiracies, our Chinese friends should rest assured,” stated his tweet.

According to the FT report, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s commerce adviser Abdul Razak Dawood was reported to have said: “Chinese companies received tax breaks, many breaks and have an undue advantage in Pakistan; this is one of the things we’re looking at because it’s not fair that Pakistan companies should be disadvantaged.”

Dawood had earlier today denied the FT report claiming that his statements were taken out of context.  

Chinese embassy in Islamabad also issued a strong-worded statement, saying that the FT report was based on "distorted and misquoted information.

“It is a firm consensus between China and Pakistan that the CPEC is a mutually beneficial project and both the governments will carry it forward according to the needs of Pakistan and for the development of Pakistan,”  the embassy said.

“Such ill-intentioned reports based on distorted and misquoted information only demonstrate that the report contributor has total ignorance and neglect of the CEC of the CPEC or China-Pakistan traditional partnership,” it added."