BEIJING: Pakistan is looking forward to taking China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into next phase with greater vigor and hopes to see fruits of CPEC benefit not only China and Pakistan, but whole region, said Ahsan Iqbal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

Talking to Global Times in an interview after meeting of 12th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC here Iqbal said he was overwhelmed at how much has been accomplished by CPEC in just 10 years.

Beauty of CPEC is that it is project between two countries that enjoy very unique relationship, Iqbal said. "Normally, countries come close when they need to and they get farther away when they don't need each other. But in case of China and Pakistan, it has been always spring. There has never been autumn in this relationship."

Everyone in Pakistan has benefited from great contribution that has been made by CPEC, he added. If there was lack of electricity, factories would be closed and workers would be laid off; patients in hospitals and students in educational institutions would also be stranded.

He mentioned Thar region of Pakistan, which was once backward area, saying CPEC has transformed region into source of energy for country. Local education, employment, hospitals and schools have also flourished.

Iqbal refuted claims in Western media that CPEC has not lived up to expectations and has become "Debt trap," saying that instead it has "Outperformed expectations. All negative propaganda against CPEC has political element. It has no reality," he told Global Times.

On security in Pakistan, he said Pakistan is taking extra precautions for security of Chinese people and have provided four layers of security dedicated to CPEC projects including deploying special army force with 10,000 personnel, which has been integrated with police, paramilitary forces and local security.