LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday held a seminar on `China Pakistan Economic Corridor -a road to prosperity` to muster support from the business community, energy experts, academia, journalists, intellectuals and students for the mega investment and its economic impact on Pakistan.

The provincial chief executive, who concluded the seminar at the Chief Minister Secretariat with his fiery speech, lambasted the local and foreign critics of the project,saying elements criticising the projects did not want to see Pakistan prosper with the help of China.

Shahbaz Sharif criticised a local news channel for `negative portrayal` of the Sahiwal Coal Power Project and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising `unjustified` objections to the CPEC and its related projects.

`Why India objects to the Chinese investment in Pakistan when the latter has never raised concerns over Chinese investment in India.

The hue and cry of the Modi government and its objections over the CPEC are unjustified. China has atrade of $75 billion dollar with India and invested billions of dollars in energy projects but Palcistan has no complaint or objection in this regard as it is not its concern,` he said.

The chief minister advised the Modi government not to oppose the CPEC as it would result in improvement in economic situation in the region. He said China had provided a number of opportunities in the past but unfortunately no benefit was reaped by any government but this time no mistake would be made and every effort would be made for the implementation of this historic project.

The chief minister further saidthose who staged sit-ins committed a grave injustice to the country and the future generations but they could no longer hoodwink the masses. `China was ready to help and cooperate with Pakistan like a true friend but Pakistani people could not avail themselves of the opportunity due to corruption, inefSciency and political instability in the country. Now it is time to learn from past mistakes and move forward without wasting any time so as to change the course of history.

Referring to the investment made by Pakistani investors in foreign countries, the chief minister said it was lamentable that some Pakistani businessmen earned billions of rupees in the country but at difficult times preferred to invest in foreign countries instead of their own country.

He said when Pakistan needed investors they vanished but Chinese investors were making investments for the sake of Pakistan.

Mr Sharif said this was a golden opportunity for private sector but only for those who wanted to earn legitimate profit and serve the country.

He said the media would also have to play its due role for promoting public awareness regarding the importance of the project.

Replying to questions of the participants, he said the whole nation was united on the economic corridor project and all political parties expressed their consensus at the All-Party Conference.

However, he added that if there was any reservation, thatcould be resolved through negotiations.

Answering a question, he said a number of power projects would be completed by the end of 2017 which would result in two per cent increase in the country`s growth rate.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal said the CPEC project was one of the most transformational projects of the 21st century and it would help billions of people living in Asia.

The leadership of both China and Pakistan firmly believed that through regional integration they could not only create opportunities for both countries but integrate South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East to become new regional economic bloc with a population of about three billion people -about half of the world population, he said.

He said though China and Pakistan had enjoyed close relations, unfortunately Pakistan`s major failing in the past was to translate this relationship into a strong economic partnership.Through the CPEC both would get new economic strategic partnership which would transform the relationship from geopolitics to geo-economics, he said.

`The economic corridor is going to be game-changer as before the Chinese president`s visit in April this year the world looked towards Pakistan very unfairly.

The international media first labeled Pakistan as the safe havenfor militant networks but post April 20 the same media declared Pakistan safe haven for USD 46 billion Chinese investment,` he said.

He informed the audience that 80pc of the CPEC investment was in energy sector, adding that many controversies developed because of misunderstanding as some people thought that $46 billion were going in the pockets of thegovernment.

He said up to $38b investment in the CPEC was coming from the Chinese private sector in different energy projects which would help overcome energy crisis in Pakistan, adding that the remaining $11b was in other projects like Gwadar airport, new Karakoram Highway, sections of LahoreKarachi motorways, fibre optic and telecom.

Sun Weidong, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, in his keynote address said a key consensus reached during the Chinese president`s state visit to Pakistan was to promote the construction of the CPEC.

He said first export cargo ship had recently left Gwadar Port which marked the start of export cargo service and thus opened another direct link from Pakistan to rest of the world.

Representatives of three Chinese companies updated the audience about the Sahiwal Coal Power Project, Cholistan Bahawalpaur Solar Power Project and Salt Range Coal Power Project.