China always stands with Pakistan, offers supports on political, diplomatic fronts: Pakistani PM

ISLAMABAD, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China has always stood with Pakistan and supported it on political and diplomatic fronts in the promotion of peace, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday.

"I am saying it with absolute certainty that China is a very good and trustworthy friend of Pakistan, which has always supported us in good and bad times," the prime minister said during an event in the port city of Gwadar in the country's southwest Balochistan province.

He said Pakistan was going through a severe power crisis about a decade ago, during which it suffered up to 12 hours of electricity load shedding.

China, under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), made investments in Pakistan and built power plants generating thousands of megawatts of electricity with its own capacity, resources, technology, machinery and expertise, which helped Pakistan overcome the crisis, Sharif added.

Sharif said China is helping Pakistan in its development while the enemies of Pakistan target Chinese investors and engineers, but neither the Pakistani government nor the public accepts it.

"I request the people to help the friendly country which is investing in Pakistan. We should protect them more than our own selves because they are contributing to the development of Pakistan," he said.