ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal inaugurated three centres including Pakistan China Joint Research Centre, Pakistan China Joint Research Centre on Earth Sciences and Dr A Q Khan Institute of Material and Emergency Sciences at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) here.

These Higher Education Commission (HEC)-sponsored centres approved by Central Development Working Party were formally launched during ceremony held at QAU which was attended among others by QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Niaz, Chinese officials and number of students.

Ahsan Iqbal said centres would play key role in producing world-class researchers. He said these projects remained pending for last four years but incumbent government ensured their launch.

He said Pakistan China Joint Research Centre would play vital role in producing researchers who would prove to be beneficial in in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.

He said incumbent government revived CPEC projects which remained neglected by previous government, highlighting several initiatives taken by government that came into power in April 2022.

Pakistan China Joint Research Centre on Earth Sciences deals with all fields of natural science related to study of our planet's physical characteristics, from earthquakes to raindrops and floods to fossils and impact of human activities on Earth's environment.

Centre will also contribute towards enhanced knowledge of geological evolution of processes and natural hazards, as well as proposing measures to deal with natural hazards.