It is not only our various segments of society but the country’s very close friends are also concerned, and rightly so, over the current political squabbling. Whilst the political leaders appear not to be ready to mend their ways, these friends are now publicly advising the country to put the house in order to avoid total collapse and disaster.
It is not the nature of our Chinese friends to speak publicly about the internal matters of any country, be it Pakistan or any other. In closed doors and internal meetings, they might be giving their inputs and assessment but they never do so in the open. But such is the worrying and precarious situation in our country because of the follies of political lot that the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was on a two-day visit to Islamabad for strategic dialogue with Pakistan as well as a trilateral meeting with Pakistani and Afghan Foreign Ministers, during a press stake out along with FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday, had to very softly convey a message to Pakistan to correct its course to deal with multifaceted challenges. In a very calm and mild tone, the Chinese FM said that “as a good neighbor, good friend, and a good partner, we sincerely hope that the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so that it could focus on growing the economy, improving the people’s life and bring the country towards a fast-track development and rejuvenation.
Nobody can be more sincere to Pakistan than China, and the latter has proved so with its latest remarks. This is yet again a manifestation that being a true and reliable partner; it wants Pakistan moving forward on the path of development rather than entangling in internal bickering and differences. Indeed, and as also stated by the visiting dignitary, it is only through stability that the goals of development can be achieved and the country’s security can be ensured. True friends indeed, are those which not only stand by you in difficult times but also point out where we are heading wrong.
Firstly, it is really important that the very statement of the Chinese FM is not taken out of context but perceived accurately. The call has not been made either on the government or the opposition party but the message is for all the stakeholders, especially the political leaders either sitting in the government or the opposition. Then, the political leadership should not be feeling offended as what the Chinese FM said, in fact, is the voice of the whole Pakistani nation. In fact, Qin Gang, through his words, has spoken the hearts and minds of Pakistani people. This really reflects how much the Chinese government is earnest to the well-being of Pakistani people. Shared prosperity is also the vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and definitely he would like to see this first to happen in a country to whom they trust the most.
The fact of the matter is that China also has genuine stakes in Pakistan, and it cannot afford any instability and insecurity in the country. We must recognize that it made massive investments in Pakistan under the CPEC and that too at a time when nobody was willing to come here due to the dire security situation. It is only through a stable environment that we can secure their investment and workers. And certainly, the Chinese government can only convince its companies to make more investments in Pakistan provided there is peace and stability.
Hence, the very sincere Chinese advice, which undoubtedly has not been made gladly but out of compulsion, should not go unnoticed or fall on deaf ears. We cannot afford disappointing our close friends. Already the IMF has closed its coffins for Pakistan and at present we are surviving default only because of the much-needed support from friendly countries, especially China, which recently rolled over its loans.
While shunning egoistic politics based on hatred and demonstrating a sagacious path, the political leadership should sit together and prove through their conduct that they have the capacity to address their issues through negotiations.
We believe the general election is the only way forward through which stability will come in the country and give confidence to both the private sector and foreign investors, including from China, to come with their investments in the country. But these should be conducted in such a fair and transparent manner so that they do not push the country into turmoil. The losing parties will also have to show the democratic spirit of accepting the defeat.
