Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has rejected the "suspicions" and criticism of the Western countries about China's multi-billion dollars project CPEC and the Gwadar port, adding that the projects were a great opportunity for geo-economics.
In an interview with Dr Eric Li, Director of the Advisory Committee of China Institute of Fudan University, the Prime Minister also invited other countries to join and invest in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, as Islamabad is facing a financial crisis, The News International reported on Thursday.
"I do not understand why there is suspicion about CPEC and the Gwadar Port. It makes no sense because, as far as Pakistan is concerned, my number one priority is the country's 220 million people," PM Imran said, according to Pakistan Today.
"We want to build our economy and lift our people out of poverty," he said, adding that Pakistan looked towards China as a role model in this regard. "We see CPEC and Gwadar as a great opportunity for geo-economics."
However, he noted that the initiative was not exclusive to China and Pakistan and said that other countries were also welcome to invest in CPEC projects, Pakistan Today reported.
Commenting on Afghanistan, Imran said that the United States did not study the history of the war-torn country.
"Anyone who understood the history of Afghanistan would never have done what the Americans did," he said.
"They (Americans) were never clear on what they were trying to achieve in Afghanistan. Was it nation-building, democracy, or the emancipation of Afghan women? They had no clear aims," the Prime Minister added.
According to the state media, Imran Khan said that the entire US mission was based on a "false premise". But now, he said, the Americans are unable to differentiate between the general population and the Taliban, thus forcing the country towards a potential humanitarian crisis.
( With inputs from ANI )
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