No destructive elements can disrupt Pakistan-China relationship says FM Qureshi

KARACHI: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said some inimical forces were manoeuvring to disrupt mega development projects under CPEC as they did not want Pakistan to become an economically strong and stable country.

Such elements were behind the cowardly terrorist act of Dasu bus incident, who were perturbed over Pakistan’s deep relations with China, he said while talking to media persons after condoling with Ameer Bux Bhutto over the death of his father Mumtaz Bhutto at his residence.

He said the innocent Chinese people, who lost their lives in the Dasu incident, were working on the hydropower project, thus contributing to Pakistan’s development.

Similarly, Pakistanis were also killed in the terror act, he added. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of China’s belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was the target of hostile forces, and that was why they were resorting to such cowardly attacks, the foreign minister said.

Qureshi said Pakistan and China had deep-rooted ties, which strengthened from generation to generation and leadership to leadership, and the evil forces would not succeed in their nefarious designs against them.

He said he had recently returned from Beijing, where he held meetings with Chinese officials in cordial environment. “We revisited our relationship in detail, and discussed how to move forward on all fronts, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” he added.

Replying to a question, he said late Mumtaz Bhutto’s family was a leading family of the Bhutto clan.

To another question, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was not on a mission to “conquer” Sindh, rather the party wanted to serve its people. It was the Zardari family, which was given the mandate by the people ruling the province, but they had even kept them (people) deprived of the Covid vaccination, he added.

After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the provincial health department was responsible for the health of people, he said.

The minister expressed his concern over the situation in Katcha areas and Tharparkar. The people of Sindh wanted change and 2023 could now be different for the Pakistan Peoples Party, which had already been rejected by Punjab.

He said the PTI got the highest number of votes in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections and the opposition should accept the reality.

Qureshi said he today visited Sardar Ameer Bux Bhutto to condole his father’s death. He had good relations with late Mumtaz Bhutto, he added.