ISLAMABAD July 24 (INP) - Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not overburden Pakistan’s economy but will only give it much needed boost, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday. Addressing a webinar on “CPEC and its Impact on the Region" he said the CPEC will help Pakistan to improve economy and infrastructure. The webinar was also addressed by Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Yao Jing and Chairman CPEC Authority Lt General Asim Saleem Bajwa (retd), besides Chairman of Karachi Council on Foreign Relations Ikram Sehgal. Highlighting the completed and near completion CPEC projects including motorways, the president said building communication infrastructure was vital to strengthen the trade links. The President said the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam was also in process that would create 15,000 jobs and 4,500 MW of electricity that would be the biggest water storage dam after Tarbella because Pakistan was well aware of its water conservation needs. The president hoped that the CPEC would generate economic opportunities in all sectors including hotelling, banking, finance, insurance, warehousing, food processing, assembly of appliances which would ultimately create jobs for youth and thus help alleviate poverty. Rubbishing the criticism on CPEC, he said that the multifaceted gigantic project was neither meant for exploitation nor overburdening Pakistani’s economy, rather it would enable the country to strengthen its economic position. “There has been criticism that it overburdens our economy. I assure the participants that it does not overburden our economy but improve the ability of the people of Pakistan to improve their economy. So it doesn’t overburden,” the president said He told the participants that Pakistan has made a lot of progress on CPEC projects which could further expand keeping in view the future needs related to power generation, road and rail infrastructure and fiber optic network to further enhance communications. He said enhancement of trade links was inevitable for peace as wars always disrupted trade activities. While lauding the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China, the president said the movement of goods from one country to the other always created economic opportunities in the less developed countries. President Alvi lauded the Chinese cooperation and guidance to Pakistan to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic and recalled his visit to China during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak. He believed that once the CPEC projects came to fruition including those of power, health and communications infrastructure, those would ultimately help the country steer its people out of poverty, just like China. The tax havens created in Gwadar and elsewhere would help alleviate poverty. He also called for enhanced Pak-China cooperation in the fields of information technology and software development to create more job openings for skilled youth. The president hoped that the CPEC would also ensure bringing about peace in the region. He told the participants that while dealing with CPEC development projects, Pakistan was well aware of the Indian interference and belligerence from Indian on borders as well as inside occupied Kashmir and Afghanistan. "We are cognizant of that. There is interference to discourage CPEC work in Balochistan. But we are aware of it and in good political communication with our friends in China we will be able to overcome that,” he remarked Earlier in the day, President Alvi said that India was creating trouble on CPEC Corridor and her belligerent attitude poses threat to regional peace and stability. Speaking to Chinese Ambassador,  Yao Jing, who called on him, in Islamabad, the President said that Pakistan highly valued its relationship with China which had always stood by Pakistan at difficult times. He assured that Pakistan would continue to support One-China Policy and stand by China on core issues of national interest, including Hong Kong, Tibet, and Taiwan. The Ambassador thanked the government of Pakistan for supporting his country’s stance on Hong Kong and other issues of national interests.