Baseless propaganda against Pakistan-China relations

    Federal Minister for Development and Planning Ahsan Iqbal has expressed in the press conference that propaganda is being done by an opposing political party that China has lowered the level of relations with Pakistan. According to Ahsan Iqbal, this behavior is democratic and not constructive, but it is like playing with state interests and the nation will allow it and not the government.

   On the other hand, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has warned that India should not mislead the international community regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and it has no right to object to the Pakistan-China joint statement on the Kashmir issue. Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory that has been on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for seven decades. It is unacceptable to raise the finger on Pakistan-China eternal friendship and the same position of both countries on the grand projects like CPEC and the situation in Occupied Kashmir.

   Two years after the establishment of Pakistan, the never-ending journey of Pakistan-China friendship began with the independence of China under the brilliant leadership of Mao Zedong. Behind which was Pakistan's unquestioning recognition of China's independence. In 1962, the border conflict between India and China started and the armies of both sides faced each other. On this occasion, Pakistan fully supported China, due to which the prestige of Pakistan increased in the eyes of China and the relations between the two countries started to become stronger. In 1965, on the occasion of the India-Pakistan war, China supported Pakistan in every way and exercised the right of true friendship. In 1971, at a difficult stage, China once again proved its selfless friendship with Pakistan, due to which both countries became hostile to each other. K and came closer.

   Till date many governments have come in the country. In political differences and confrontations, they repeatedly humiliated each other. Development plans were also rolled back, but in 75 years, every government, politician and people always spoke in one language about the eternal Pakistan-China friendship as high as the Himalayas. In 2013, the two countries launched the historic CPEC joint project for the development of the region, in which Energy, Sendak, Gwadar Port, Karachi to Peshawar Railway double track and covering the length of the country in a network of roads were among its features. The first phase of the project was set to be completed by 2020, the middle by 2025, and the third and final phase by 2030. Of these, 27 projects with an investment of 19 billion dollars have been completed so far. 63 projects with an investment of 35 billion dollars are still pending.

   In the last 6 years, the CPEC project has largely stalled or slowed down, while 2025 is the year for the completion of the second phase in principle. In this context, the recent successful visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with his team to China is of great importance, in the light of which the two governments are trying to make up for the damage done during the last 6 years as much as possible. Agricultural and industrial revolution, Increased trade links and revolutionary developments in communication are inevitable in the context of a rapidly deteriorating economic situation. In order to continue the never-ending journey of Pakistan-China friendship, political parties should not only keep all kinds of differences at bay, but should promote mutual cooperation knowing it as a national cause.

Pak China Agreements

Pakistan and China have further expanded their economic cooperation in the form of 32 MoUs. The MoUs were signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China, which is ongoing in connection with his participation in the Pakistan-China Business Forum. Shahbaz Sharif arrived in Beijing on the second day of his five-day visit to China on Wednesday, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders and signed a ceremony on trade and investment agreements in various sectors. These agreements to increase trade and investment have far-reaching benefits and consequences due to their universality. It is clear from the titles of MoUs and other indications that cooperation has increased in many sectors including energy, automobiles, IT, pharmaceuticals. will Chinese companies in Pakistan electric bikes, modern agriculture He has also expressed interest for investment in Pakistan, while two lakh Pakistani youth will also be trained in artificial intelligence. The prospects for trade growth in the fields of electronics, home appliances, textiles, leather, jewelry, minerals have been highlighted. In this context, the statement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is of special importance that he has not traveled for a loan, but for business and development. This statement makes clear the direction of Islamabad's new strategy. Shahbaz Sharif, while addressing the Pakistan-China Business Conference in Shenzhen, China, also said that China's development is worthy of emulation and ideal for all. He repeatedly advised Pakistani companies to adopt the Chinese model and market their products in a better way to the world Present in front. In this regard, he said that the government will fully cooperate with companies adopting the Chinese model. Shahbaz Sharif termed the holding of the business conference as a source of golden opportunities for Pakistan and advised Pakistani businessmen to look for joint investment opportunities with their Chinese counterparts. are up to trillions of dollars while our export volume is only 30 billion dollars. The only way to improve this situation is to adopt the Chinese model. It is clear from the Prime Minister's statement that the government has already initiated structural changes in this regard, while the Belt and Road Initiative is a guarantee of progress. He asserted that foolproof security will be provided to the Chinese residents in Pakistan. The Prime Minister also visited the headquarters of Huawei Company and the Chinese Museum and encouraged the company to set up Safe City projects in various cities of Pakistan, especially cities where CPEC projects are being worked on. It is clear from the Prime Minister's speech that the government is taking steps to digitize government offices on a priority basis. Tax system and e-governance are also being given attention. There are vast opportunities for Chinese companies in these sectors. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China is ongoing at a time when Pakistan-China Economic Corridor is entering the second phase. This phase not only paves the way for the continuation of the already decided projects but also lays the foundation for new projects. At this time, as new avenues of investment are opening up in the form of 32 agreements, many initiatives including eradication of corruption, prevention of smuggling have become necessary and are being addressed. It should be expected that the coming months and years will see progress in several directions, including an increase in investment and trade between Pakistan and China.

Indian Elections: Results and Implications

The results of the general elections in India have sealed the failure of Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Ab Ki Baar, 400 Par'. The defeat in Ayodhya itself is a prominent aspect of the election campaign that the Indian Prime Minister and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party started with the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in January. The BJP is seen celebrating a simple majority over the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after losing a majority as a party for a decade. It is being said that the BJP this time failed to mobilize even the vorters of its parent organization RSS. The climate of fear created by Modi and those close to him also drove the RSS away from the campaign, this time the Hindutva card was effective and Narendra Modi could not capitalize on the sarcastic remarks about Muslims.

Modi, who has been an unstoppable force for the past decade, managed to retain the seat in his constituency Daransi with a slim majority. The BJP has been battered by inflation, unemployment, controversial military conscription reforms and Modi's aggressive and divisive campaign. When Narendra Modi claimed to win 400 out of 543 seats for his alliance (NDA), there were not many people who mocked him, but at that time the situation is clear that Narendra Modi is in the government alliance to become the Prime Minister for the third time. They will be forced to depend on the smaller parties involved.

Some observers believe the election results show that Indian voters are still free to exercise their will. At this time, that the chances of forming a coalition government in India are significant, on the one hand, the scope for arbitrariness is decreasing for Narendra Modi, on the other hand, the opposition will be strong, which will not only react strongly to the government's actions from time to time, but also It will also bring confidence. While the election results have come out, the demand of Narendra Modi's resignation from some circles has also started gaining momentum. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already said that Modi has lost his credibility, he did not get a clear majority, so he should resign immediately.

The results of the election show that the popularity of the Congress party is increasing. It seems that he is heading back to his previous location. This is good news for secular India. It will be a comfort to the minorities who are humbled by the slogans of Hindutva, the way of making the lives of the centuries-old Assamese residents as foreigners and harassing the people of different religions including Christians in many provinces. Similarly, with the announcement of annexation of Occupied Kashmir to India, in view of the mountains of cruelty and brutality that were broken on the Kashmiri people, the current election results for the Kashmiris may have an aspect of reassurance to some extent.

Narendra Modi, while forming a coalition government, should review such aspects of internal and external policy that have been causing irritation and agitation. It is not in the interest of both the countries and the whole of South Asia that mutual relations with the neighboring country Pakistan remain at a very low level after 2019. Narendra Modi will take measures to normalize relations with Pakistan, increase trade, reduce tension, increase people-to-people contact, then it will strengthen regional peace and increase the prosperity of the region. Better results can be achieved in this regard by making the SAARC organization more active and effective.