Bilawal sees political stability after polls

Says foreign relations improved in last 15 months

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed on Tuesday his optimism that Pakistan would move towards political stability after the upcoming general elections, which would, in turn, bring financial stability to the country.

Addressing a dinner-reception for the members of the diplomatic corps in the federal capital, the foreign minister warned that politics of hatred and division would not be tolerated in the country.

He said that the country was heading towards general elections and for any government, the only way to deliver was to focus on goals and aims by strengthening the institutions, including the federal and provincial parliaments.

“I am optimistic that after we conduct the elections in a timely manner, we will be able to return to a sense of political stability,” he said. “The country will move towards political stability after holding the general elections,” Bilawal stressed.

Pakistan is getting ready for general elections as the five-year term of the current National Assembly is ending next month. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that the government would leave office before the end of the term.

In his speech, Bilawal, who took over as the foreign minister after the incumbent coalition removed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in April 2022, also spoke about his ministry’s performance under him.

He also spoke about the major challenges he faced during his stint as the foreign minister, including improving Pakistan’s relations with various countries, devastating floods, and other matters.

The foreign minister thanked the diplomats for their efforts in furthering Pakistan’s relations with their respective countries and appreciated the work of the officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He told the diplomats that he tried to run the ministry purely on professional terms, isolating it from the domestic politics. “We started this journey 15 months ago with the aim of returning a sense of professionalism over populism,” he said.

During the tenure of the incumbent government, he added, Pakistan’s engagement with the other countries had improved, though the true potential of relations could not be unlocked.

Coming to the international scenario, the foreign minister stated that the modern world challenges were not restricted by the borders, as he cited the climate change-induced catastrophic floods in Pakistan last year.

“The issue of the climate change cannot be addressed in isolation rather it requires concerted efforts,” he said. “The outcome of the COP27 conference had not been possible without support from other countries,” he added.

Bilawal also thanked the friendly countries for their support to Pakistan that enabled the country it to reach the Stand-By Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).