ISLAMABAD, October 02 (DNA): Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has said Iran and Saudi Arabia’s desire to join China-Pakistan Economic Corridor framework is a good step and Pakistan would welcome their involvement.

Talking to media in Islamabad on Sunday, he said they welcome both the brotherly Islamic countries if they want to be part of CPEC.

Pakistan, he said, would also welcome and appreciate any friendly country which desired to participate in the multi-billion gigantic flagship project of “One Road One Belt” initiative launched by Chinese President, Xi Jining.

He said, CPEC, a trans-regional project, would benefit three billion people of the region through enhanced regional connectivity with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of the country to play instrumental role integrating the whole region.

Ahsan Iqbal said work on western route of CPEC is progressing in full swing and reaffirmed that the route would be completed by 2018.

He informed that 650 kilometers long Gwadar-Quetta section of the Western Route would be completed by December 2016.

The Minister said with completion of Western route, people living in the underdeveloped areas would witness new era of development and prosperity. DNA