Iqbal blasts ‘drive’ against China ties

In response to recent social media propaganda questioning the strength of Pakistan’s ties with China, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday issued a stern warning to the PTI, cautioning against jeopardising national interests.

He further cautioned that any such actions would be dealt iron fistedly.

Addressing a news conference, Iqbal said national interest should reign supreme, and should not be c with political interest. He pointed out that recently, a political party, implicitly referring to PTI, has launched an aggressive campaign suggesting a downturn or downgrade in Pakistan-China relations.

He argued that the campaign undermining Pakistan’s relations with its staunchest ally went against national interests. Contrary to this misleading propaganda, he pointed out that the joint statement following the prime minister’s recent visit reflects a significant improvement in Pakistan-China diplomatic ties.

Highlighting China’s commitment, he noted the announcement of an upgraded phase of the CPEC project after its initial success.

Regarding initiatives, he mentioned Huawei, a prominent Chinese tech giant, offering IT training to Pakistani students, alongside plans to train 10,000 students in agriculture.

Taking a jibe at the PTI, he further accused the party of “perfecting the art of social media trolling tactics”, using them to exert pressure on institutions like the military and judiciary.

“When it aims to exert pressure on the army, it trolls their officers and the institution. The same tactic applies to the judiciary; when they seek to harass judges, they attempt to tarnish their image on social media,” he added.

He stressed that institutions are the pillars upon which the state’s roof rests; undermining these pillars jeopardises the state’s security. He noted his party’s history of enduring jails and oppression during dictatorships without compromising national interests.

“There can be differences between the government and the opposition but the state’s interests and future are interlinked. We are committing an anti-state act by jeopardizing the state for our political interests,” he said.

“This is not the democratic way of politics. This [political] party cannot gain any benefit through such means. We remained in jail but never targeted any state institution.”

Later, while naming the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he urged the party to “understand the difference between their politics and interests of the state”, warning that otherwise it would be dealt with an “iron hand”.

The minister pointed out that with the cooperation of China work on civil space programme continued.

Quoting the Chinese spokesperson, Iqbal stated that the Chinese president said that relations with Pakistan had further strengthened, adding that cooperation between Pakistan and China would extend to more fields.