Islamabad: A day after the newly-appointed Planning & Development Minister Asad Umar’s statement, other members of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet have also categorically rejected the impression created by a US official who had termed China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a debt trap for Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi and Special Assistant to PM (SPAM) on Information & Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday in separate interviews and statements called US Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells’ concerns over CPEC unfounded and termed the multibillion dollar project initiated by China a game changer for the country as well as the entire region.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi who spent the off-day at his hometown Multan while talking to media persons said Pakistan did not agree with the views expressed by US official and the US’ stance on CPEC would have “no impact” on the pace of implementation of the project.

Allice Wells being In Charge of South Asia affairs at the US State Department had addressed a gathering of the scholars, journalists and foreign policy experts on Friday in Washington and viewed that CPEC would take heavy toll on Pakistan’s economy at the time of repayments and dividend in the coming years.

Qureshi said Pakistan rejected that view and didn’t think that the burden of CPEC would increase its debt burden.

The foreign minister said Pakistan’s total debt burden was $74 billion of which CPEC is only US$4.9 billion.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has also set aside the US diplomat’s views and in a tweet said CPEC was the (government’s) first priority and Pakistan didn’t agree with America’s concerns regarding the project.

The premier’s special assistant added that the project was a “surety of our economic development”, adding: “China is our close friend and has stood by us during every trying time.”

On Saturday, in a move to allay US concerns over CPEC’s impact on Pakistan’s debt crisis, the newly appointed Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had said the bilateral commercial debt from China would start declining in next two to three years.

He made it clear that Pakistan would neither back out from CPEC and its time-tested friends like China nor would it become the “collateral damage” of any conflict between major powers.

Asad Umar who has taken oath of office earlier last week was of the view that Wells’ primary contention was that Pakistan was sinking further into the quagmire of debt with CPEC.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal advised the new Planning Minister to avoid presenting unverified stats on a project as important as CPEC.

He added that “irresponsible” statements by the PTI government have already created problems and clarified that the total value of CPEC loans was not $18 billion but around $5.8 billion.