ISLAMABAD: Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, President of Pakistan administered Kashmir, has extended an invitation to Chinese businesses to invest in the disputed region, state media reported on Wednesday. The invitation came after a meeting with Li Ping, Director of China’s Yunnan Sunny Road and Bridge Company, in Muzaffarabad on Tuesday.
Li Ping, whose company specializes in tunnel and highway construction, presented Chaudhry with a comprehensive plan for multiple projects across Pak administered Kashmir. The two leaders also discussed the region’s untapped potential in tourism and its rich natural resources, including precious stones like rubies and other minerals, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
This move follows China’s commitment to invest in PoK under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, which includes major infrastructure projects such as the Karot and Kohala hydropower plants, the M-4 motorway, and a special economic zone in Mirpur.
India, which claims both Pak administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as part of its territory, has consistently criticized the CPEC projects, viewing them as a violation of its sovereignty. However, both the Pakistani and Chinese governments have dismissed India’s concerns, calling them unfounded. “Azad Kashmir” currently operates as a self-governing region under Islamabad’s administration.
