China supports Pakistanis people and government by free assistance of vehicles and office equipment to support Pakistan and strengthen the capacity building of institutions
ISLAMABAD – The Chinese government donated 505 modern vehicles, including 425 pickups and 80 ambulances, to Pakistan. The free assistance also includes office equipment.
The handover ceremony was held in Islamabad and attended by Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan His Excellency Sun Weidong and Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
The ceremony was held at the finance ministry building in Islamabad, which was attended by Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong and officials from both Pakistan and China.
All vehicles and equipment will be equitably distributed to all provinces, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan, and capital territory of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, northwest tribal areas and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, Ishaq Dar said.
The donation of vehicles and office equipment is part of free assistance program. China signed an agreement to provide the free assistance to Pakistan during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Pakistan in April last year.
Pakistan’s Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division Tariq Bajwa and Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong signed the documents.
Chinese Ambassador handed over a symbolic key of vehicles to the Pakistani finance minister.
On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong hoped that China’s free assistance would support Pakistan to strengthen the capacity building of government and other institutions.
“We will always support each other as close partners and dear brothers, and we hope that our friendship and relations will further strengthen in the days to come” Chinese Ambassador remarked.
“This year is the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Pak diplomatic relations, and it should also be the year of implementation for all the consensuses that we have reached during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan last year. Today’s ceremony is part of our efforts to implement our consensus,” said Sun.
Expressing gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people for the assistance, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said: “This is the friendship gift from China for Pakistan. We are always obliged and we cherished friendship with China.”
According to the finance minister, all the vehicles and equipment have already reached Pakistan, and these will be distributed to different governmental departments across Pakistan, including four provinces Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan, and capital territory of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, northwest tribal areas and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.