Ahsan Iqbal, the minister for planning, development, and special initiatives, vehemently denied on Wednesday that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a “debt trap” and contradicted claims to the contrary.
He claimed that claims that the project is a “debt trap” are just “concocted to spread propaganda in global geopolitics of competition” when speaking to representatives of the international media in Islamabad.
The minister said, “I don’t think it’s a ‘debt trap’ as I believe it’s a fact trap to pervert the spirit of BRI. He added that wherever the BRI has gone, the locals can attest to its beneficial influence. Additionally, he commended China for extending the BRI to Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has provided Pakistan with significant opportunities in sectors like energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, and industrial cooperation.
The minister said, “I don’t think it’s a ‘debt trap’ as I believe it’s a fact trap to pervert the spirit of BRI. He added that wherever the BRI has gone, the locals can attest to its beneficial influence. Additionally, he commended China for extending the BRI to Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has provided Pakistan with significant opportunities in sectors like energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, and industrial cooperation.