ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the relevant authorities to take all possible measures to provide land; electricity and gas connections; and tax incentives to attract more and more Chinese companies invest in Pakistan and populate the Special Economic Zones.

“Pakistan needs investment to accelerate industrialisation,” the prime minister said, while chairing a meeting on facilitating the Chinese investors in SEZs.

“It is critical to create maximum employment opportunities for our growing population, 65 per cent of which is under the age of 35,” he added.

Earlier, the prime minister was briefed that of the total of 27 SEZs in the country, work on five SEZs, including Dhabeji in Sindh, Rashakai in KP, Bostan in Balochistan, Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Punjab, and Gwadar in Balochistan was in full swing.

An effective one-window operation facility was being set up at each of these SEZs along with a facilitation centre at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority to resolve all the issues of the potential Chinese investors under one roof.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, federal ministers Shaukat Tarin, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Asad Umar, Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor and senior officials were present on the occasion.