China has made huge investments in Pakistan in the energy sector under the US $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative and Beijing will provide US $1 billion grant to Islamabad for the socio-economic development in the country, a minister said Friday.

Addressing a seminar by the CPEC Forum in Islamabad, Minister for Planning and Development Khusro Bakhtiar said industrial and agricultural development will be targeted in the next phase of CPEC.

"Cooperation in education, health, water, poverty alleviation and other sectors has been included in socio-economic development," Bakhtiar said at the seminar titled Regional Cooperation and Industrial Development through Business to Business Cooperation.

He urged the private sector to take a lead in the industrial development, asserting that cooperation in the industrial sector will further strengthen relationship between Pakistan and China.

China will provide US $1 billion grant to Pakistan for the socio-economic development, he said.

China has made huge investments in the energy sector under the CPEC which was launched in 2015 when President Xi Jinping visited the country, he added.

Bakhtiar said China had offered free access for export of 313 Pakistani items and a Pakistan-China Business Forum is being set up to promote trade between the two countries.

The CPEC Forum provides platform for exchange of ideas on the CPEC, and the latest event was a collaboration between Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Pakistan China Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Research and Development International.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

India has been boycotting the BRI to protest over the CPEC being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

China has made huge investments in Pakistan in the energy sector under the US $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative and Beijing will provide US $1 billion grant to Islamabad for the socio-economic development in the country, a minister said Friday.

China has made huge investments in Pakistan in the energy sector under the US $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative and Beijing will provide US $1 billion grant to Islamabad for the socio-economic development in the country, a minister said Friday. Addressing a seminar by the CPEC Forum in Islamabad, Minister for Planning and Development Khusro Bakhtiar said industrial and agricultural development will be targeted in the next phase of CPEC. "Cooperation in education, health, water, poverty alleviation and other sectors has been included in socio-economic development," Bakhtiar said at the seminar titled Regional Cooperation and Industrial Development through Business to Business Cooperation. He urged the private sector to take a lead in the industrial development, asserting that cooperation in the industrial sector will further strengthen relationship between Pakistan and China. China will provide US $1 billion grant to Pakistan for the socio-economic development, he said. China has made huge investments in the energy sector under the CPEC which was launched in 2015 when President Xi Jinping visited the country, he added. Bakhtiar said China had offered free access for export of 313 Pakistani items and a Pakistan-China Business Forum is being set up to promote trade between the two countries. The CPEC Forum provides platform for exchange of ideas on the CPEC, and the latest event was a collaboration between Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Pakistan China Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Research and Development International. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has been boycotting the BRI to protest over the CPEC being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

China to provide $1 billion grant to Pakistan for socio-economic development

As Imran Khan ends his<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-arrives-in-china-to-seek-help-for-pakistans-shrinking-economy-174997"> three-day visit</a> to all-weather ally China, the Pakistan Prime Minister's tour did not pan out the way he expected.&nbsp;

After he won a US $6 billion loan from Saudi Arabia, Khan was hoping for a similar response - but that has not happened.&nbsp;

Beijing remained silent about Islamabad's need for immediate financial support. But, talks over issues involving India were thoroughly discussed.&nbsp;

A joint statement, issued hereafter Prime Minister Imran Khan's talks with Chinese President and Premier Li Keqiang, said that China backed Pakistan's efforts to improve ties with India to settle "outstanding disputes", without directly mentioning the Kashmir issue.

"China appreciates Pakistan's quest for peace through dialogue, cooperation and negotiation, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and supports Pakistan's efforts for improvement of Pakistan-India relations and for settlement of outstanding disputes between the two countries," the joint statement said.

Over Islamabad issue, Khan said that he expected Chinese support to build exchange reserves and avoid a possible bailout from IMF.&nbsp;

Pakistan is drowning under the weight of his debt with foreign exchange reserves down to US $8 billion - barely enough to cover two months of exports.&nbsp;

While a bailout from the international monetary fund seems inevitable, Pakistan is having second thoughts about it.

The IMF bailout will come with tough conditions -- IMF would examine with a forensic microscope Pakistan's various agreements on the China-Pakistan economic corridor or CPEC.

All weather friends, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/willing-to-work-with-pm-to-build-new-era-of-china-pakistan-destiny-xi-jinping-to-imran-khan-175091">China and Pakistan</a> also agreed to enhance their defence cooperation. China is the main supplier of defence equipment for Pakistan.

They agreed to further enhance defence cooperation, maintain high-level visits and exchanges at various levels between relevant departments of the two armed forces, the joint statement said.

Both sides have agreed to make full use of the China-Pakistan Defence and Security Consultation mechanism, deepen cooperation in areas such as military exercises, training cooperation, personnel exchanges, and equipment and technology cooperation, it said.

As Imran Khan ends his three-day visit to all-weather ally China, the Pakistan Prime Minister's tour did not pan out the way he expected. After he won a US $6 billion loan from Saudi Arabia, Khan was hoping for a similar response - but that has not happened.

As Imran Khan ends his three-day visit to all-weather ally China, the Pakistan Prime Minister's tour did not pan out the way he expected. After he won a US $6 billion loan from Saudi Arabia, Khan was hoping for a similar response - but that has not happened. Beijing remained silent about Islamabad's need for immediate financial support. But, talks over issues involving India were thoroughly discussed. A joint statement, issued hereafter Prime Minister Imran Khan's talks with Chinese President and Premier Li Keqiang, said that China backed Pakistan's efforts to improve ties with India to settle "outstanding disputes", without directly mentioning the Kashmir issue. "China appreciates Pakistan's quest for peace through dialogue, cooperation and negotiation, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and supports Pakistan's efforts for improvement of Pakistan-India relations and for settlement of outstanding disputes between the two countries," the joint statement said. Over Islamabad issue, Khan said that he expected Chinese support to build exchange reserves and avoid a possible bailout from IMF. Pakistan is drowning under the weight of his debt with foreign exchange reserves down to US $8 billion - barely enough to cover two months of exports. While a bailout from the international monetary fund seems inevitable, Pakistan is having second thoughts about it. The IMF bailout will come with tough conditions -- IMF would examine with a forensic microscope Pakistan's various agreements on the China-Pakistan economic corridor or CPEC. All weather friends, China and Pakistan also agreed to enhance their defence cooperation. China is the main supplier of defence equipment for Pakistan. They agreed to further enhance defence cooperation, maintain high-level visits and exchanges at various levels between relevant departments of the two armed forces, the joint statement said. Both sides have agreed to make full use of the China-Pakistan Defence and Security Consultation mechanism, deepen cooperation in areas such as military exercises, training cooperation, personnel exchanges, and equipment and technology cooperation, it said.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan does not get bailout from China

There is unlikely to be any changes in America's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as the two countries try to reset their strained ties.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during their meetings with Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here, are understood to have told the Pakistani leadership that in its assessment the US does not see any changes on the ground when it comes to taking actions against terrorists operating from its soil.

Given Pakistan's influence over the Taliban, the Trump administration also wants Islamabad to bring them to the peace table.

Notably, the State Department till late in the night had refrained from issuing any readout of the meeting between Qureshi and Pompeo, which is understood to have lasted for 20 minutes at their Foggy Bottom headquarters.

The White House normally does not issue a readout of the meeting that its National Security Advisor has with foreign leaders. Qureshi and Pompeo did appear for a handshake photo op before the meeting, during which they did not issue opening remarks.

According to informed sources familiar with the development, the US side is upset because of Qureshi's faux pas about handshake he had with President Donald Trump during a luncheon in New York, which he described to the media as a meeting.

Meanwhile, in a readout of the meetings, the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington said that Qureshi had a wide range of discussions with both Pompeo and Bolton which included among others bilateral and regional issues.

Qureshi said that close engagement between Pakistan and the US had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries' shared interests, the statement said.

Noting that Pakistan and the US share a common desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's support for a political settlement in Afghanistan, saying the use of force had failed to deliver results.

Qureshi told Pompeo that "peace in South Asia, which was a common goal for both the US and Pakistan, would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved".

Pompeo, according to the embassy statement, said the US looked forward to working with the new government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan in implementing its reform agenda.

"In the context of achieving stability in South Asia, Qureshi briefed his US interlocutor about India's aggressive posturing in the region.

"Qureshi underscored that, on its part, Pakistan remained committed to engaging India in a comprehensive peace dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," the statement added.

The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

Last month, the Trump administration cancelled $ 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil.&nbsp;

There is unlikely to be any changes in America's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as the two countries try to reset their strained ties.

There is unlikely to be any changes in America's policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan until it makes substantial progress against terrorists and their safe havens, the Trump administration has told Islamabad as the two countries try to reset their strained ties. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during their meetings with Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here, are understood to have told the Pakistani leadership that in its assessment the US does not see any changes on the ground when it comes to taking actions against terrorists operating from its soil. Given Pakistan's influence over the Taliban, the Trump administration also wants Islamabad to bring them to the peace table. Notably, the State Department till late in the night had refrained from issuing any readout of the meeting between Qureshi and Pompeo, which is understood to have lasted for 20 minutes at their Foggy Bottom headquarters. The White House normally does not issue a readout of the meeting that its National Security Advisor has with foreign leaders. Qureshi and Pompeo did appear for a handshake photo op before the meeting, during which they did not issue opening remarks. According to informed sources familiar with the development, the US side is upset because of Qureshi's faux pas about handshake he had with President Donald Trump during a luncheon in New York, which he described to the media as a meeting. Meanwhile, in a readout of the meetings, the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington said that Qureshi had a wide range of discussions with both Pompeo and Bolton which included among others bilateral and regional issues. Qureshi said that close engagement between Pakistan and the US had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries' shared interests, the statement said. Noting that Pakistan and the US share a common desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's support for a political settlement in Afghanistan, saying the use of force had failed to deliver results. Qureshi told Pompeo that "peace in South Asia, which was a common goal for both the US and Pakistan, would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved". Pompeo, according to the embassy statement, said the US looked forward to working with the new government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan in implementing its reform agenda. "In the context of achieving stability in South Asia, Qureshi briefed his US interlocutor about India's aggressive posturing in the region. "Qureshi underscored that, on its part, Pakistan remained committed to engaging India in a comprehensive peace dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," the statement added. The ties between the two countries strained after Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists. Last month, the Trump administration cancelled $ 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups active on its soil.

Trump admin unlikely to change policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan

A Pakistani court on Monday granted bail to an anti-US cleric &mdash; the father-in-law of one of Pakistan&#39;s most wanted militants &mdash; days after Washington suspended aid over Islamabad`s failure to crack down on extremism.

Sufi Mohammad, whose son-in-law is Maulana Fazlullah, the fugitive chief of the Pakistani Taliban, was himself charged with murder, treason, terrorism and rebellion.

The elderly pro-Taliban cleric and the chief of banned group Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) was the architect of a violent movement for the enforcement of Islamic sharia law in country&#39;s northwestern Malakand Division.

He was arrested in October 2001 as he crossed the border into Pakistan with a group of armed men, accused of sending hundreds to fight against the US-led international forces seeking to topple the fundamentalist Taliban regime.

But he was released in 2008 under a peace agreement with local tribal elders which settled those charges.

Believed to be in his 90s, he was arrested again in Peshawar in 2009 over an inflammatory speech and has been held in a maximum security prison.

His trial is ongoing. But on Monday his defence lawyer Fida Gul said that a high court in Peshawar had ordered Mohammad&#39;s release.

&quot;He was too old to move and was suffering from kidney problems and weakness, and was taken to hospital many times,&quot; Gul said.

The decision came less than a week after the US announced a freeze on aid to Pakistan that could be worth almost $2 bn.&nbsp;

The move is designed to force Pakistan`s military and intelligence apparatus to cut support for the Taliban and other Islamist groups, especially those fighting US forces in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, losing thousands of lives in its long war on extremism.

That includes the Pakistani Taliban, headed by Mohammad`s son-in-law Fazlullah, who became infamous when he held the Swat Valley from 2007-2009, imposing a harsh brand of sharia law and carrying out public floggings and hangings.

But US officials accuse Pakistan of ignoring or even collaborating with groups that attack Afghanistan from safe havens along the border between the two countries.

The decision came less than a week after the US announced a freeze on aid to Pakistan that could be worth almost $2 bn.

A Pakistani court on Monday granted bail to an anti-US cleric — the father-in-law of one of Pakistan's most wanted militants — days after Washington suspended aid over Islamabad`s failure to crack down on extremism. Sufi Mohammad, whose son-in-law is Maulana Fazlullah, the fugitive chief of the Pakistani Taliban, was himself charged with murder, treason, terrorism and rebellion. The elderly pro-Taliban cleric and the chief of banned group Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) was the architect of a violent movement for the enforcement of Islamic sharia law in country's northwestern Malakand Division. He was arrested in October 2001 as he crossed the border into Pakistan with a group of armed men, accused of sending hundreds to fight against the US-led international forces seeking to topple the fundamentalist Taliban regime. But he was released in 2008 under a peace agreement with local tribal elders which settled those charges. Believed to be in his 90s, he was arrested again in Peshawar in 2009 over an inflammatory speech and has been held in a maximum security prison. His trial is ongoing. But on Monday his defence lawyer Fida Gul said that a high court in Peshawar had ordered Mohammad's release. "He was too old to move and was suffering from kidney problems and weakness, and was taken to hospital many times," Gul said. The decision came less than a week after the US announced a freeze on aid to Pakistan that could be worth almost $2 bn. The move is designed to force Pakistan`s military and intelligence apparatus to cut support for the Taliban and other Islamist groups, especially those fighting US forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, losing thousands of lives in its long war on extremism. That includes the Pakistani Taliban, headed by Mohammad`s son-in-law Fazlullah, who became infamous when he held the Swat Valley from 2007-2009, imposing a harsh brand of sharia law and carrying out public floggings and hangings. But US officials accuse Pakistan of ignoring or even collaborating with groups that attack Afghanistan from safe havens along the border between the two countries.

Pakistan court bails anti-US cleric days after aid freeze

The Trump administration&#39;s decision to suspend over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

&quot;We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan in November last year.

&quot;There is a $10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we&#39;ve been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that&#39;s why we like to remind people that there is a $10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him,&quot; Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have the conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

&quot;We can&#39;t continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan&#39;s issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate,&quot; the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America&#39;s conversation with Pakistan for many years.

&quot;This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we&#39;re not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can&#39;t continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing,&quot; the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

&quot;I have not seen them say they&#39;re not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they&#39;re not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they&#39;re not going to prosecute him,&quot; the official said.

The Pakistani&#39;s have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

&quot;What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them,&quot; the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is ?an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern.&quot;

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed

The Trump administration's decision to suspend over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said. "We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference. Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan in November last year. "There is a $10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that's why we like to remind people that there is a $10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him," Nauert said. A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have the conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. "We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said. Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America's conversation with Pakistan for many years. "This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said. Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US. "I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said. The Pakistani's have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration. "What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them," the State Department official said. Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is ?an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern."

US decision to suspend security aid to Pakistan has nothing to with release of perpetrators of Mumbai attack

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China to provide $1 billion grant to Pakistan for socio-economic development

Pakistan PM Imran Khan does not get bailout from China

Trump admin unlikely to change policy on suspension of aid to Pakistan

Pakistan court bails anti-US cleric days after aid freeze

US decision to suspend security aid to Pakistan has nothing to with release of perpetrators of Mumbai attack