China concerned about PTI ‘experiment’: Iqbal

Says 'China had tried to convey [a message] to the then establishment to avoid any new experiment'

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has claimed that China had warned the powers that be against carrying out any new political experiment in Pakistan ahead of the 2018 general elections as Beijing feared that such experiment would derail the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

“China in a diplomatic manner had tried to convey [a message] to the then establishment to avoid any new experiment,” Iqbal, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), said in a reference to rise of power of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the wake of 2018 polls.

Iqbal, who was talking to a private news channel on Saturday, revealed that the then establishment had, however, assured Beijing that the new government would not create obstacles to the mega infrastructure and connectivity project.

The minister stressed the need for continuation of policies for progress and development.

The PML-N leader accused the former ruling party of trying to make CPEC controversial. He said corruption allegations were leveled against the project and the western media highlighted the controversial statements made by the PTI leaders.

“[Former minister and PTI leader] Murad Saeed leveled baseless corruption allegations against me in connection with CPEC and embarrassed a state-owned Chinese company.

“Perhaps, it happened for the first time that a state-owned Chinese company issued a condemnation statement against a minister it was working with,” he added.

He said that the PTI-led government ruined the sentiment developed by the PML-N by leveling baseless allegations, delaying visa renewal of Chinese workers and other tactics.

The PML-N-led government has been blaming the former ruling party for pursuing policies that harmed mega projects and discouraged international investment.

They had been claiming that work on the China-funded project, especially on CPEC had been halted during the PTI’s tenure.