Ahsan Iqbal reaffirms strong Pak-China relations amidst smear campaign

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday dispelled the impression, propagated by a political party’s smear campaign on social media, that Pakistan-China relations had weakened.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that for the last few days, a political party had started a campaign on social media aimed at sacrificing Pak-China relations for its politics. He said, “All of us are Pakistani and should understand the difference between politics and the state. When we play with the state for the sake of politics, we act like enemies of the country.”

The Federal Minister said that a political party had learned the skill of trolling and it was being used against the state institutions, political opponents and media persons to achieve their objectives. This style was neither democratic nor beneficial, he added. He said that although his party leadership had remained in jails and in opposition, but they never targeted the state or its institutions. “If we weaken these institutions, there is no guarantee from outside for the survival of the state,” he added.

Ahsan Iqbal said that for the past few days, a specific political party had started trolling aimed at Pak-China relations, giving the impression that the relations had been downgraded. However, in reality, after the recent visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China, these relations had reached new heights, he added. He said that the joint statement issued at the conclusion of the visit was not only comprehensive but also a proof of the best relations between the both countries. He said that the joint statement covered the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), defence, and other fields including space cooperation. “Similarly, China has said that after the successful completion of CPEC Phase 1, they are ready for an upgraded version of the CPEC,” he added. He said that after the joint statement, only a fool could believe that Pak-China relations had been downgraded.

He mentioned that China’s largest telecommunications company had promised to train 300,000 Pakistanis annually, whereas 10,000 youth would also receive training from China for the development of the agricultural sector.

Ahsan Iqbal said that after the visit of the Prime Minister, the relations had deepened and moved to new heights. “In this situation, if someone says that China has downgraded Pakistan, then this can be a propaganda from an enemy, not a Pakistani,” he added.

He asked the PTI members to differentiate between politics and the interests of the state. The state could not be sacrificed for politics, he said and added, “If you play with the interests of the state, you will be dealt with iron hands.”