Chinese VP offers help to overcome security challenges in Pakistan

Shehbaz vows to root out terrorism from country

BAKU:

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang offered to work with Pakistan to overcome security challenges and further expand Pak-China cooperation during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the COP29 Climate Action Summit on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Reuters quoted sources as saying that Beijing is pushing Islamabad to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan during the bilateral talks after a car bombing in Karachi killed two Chinese engineers on October 6.

In the Baku meeting, the prime minister and the Chinese vice premier discussed bilateral cooperation in various fields. During the meeting, Shehbaz highlighted the steps taken by the government for the security of the Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

He also highlighted the steps taken by the government to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism and reiterated that the government was committed to root out terrorism from the country, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister Office Media Wing.

Last month's airport bombing in Karachi killed two Chinese engineers, the latest in a string of attacks against the Beijing's interests. The attacks have worried China, which has pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system.

Reuters spoke to five Pakistani security and government sources with direct knowledge of the previously unreported negotiations and demands. "They (Chinese) want to bring in their own security," one official, who sat in on a recent meeting, said on condition of anonymity.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the events which occurred in the recent past were the acts of terrorism, which aimed at disrupting the Pakistan-China relations and stop the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

However, he added that both the countries were in contact with each other to deal with the security related issues and agree on a framework. "It is possible for both the countries to improve the security situation of the Chinese citizens," he said.

The minister cautioned against speculations on the issues related to the security, stressing that the security system would be made more effective where necessary. "Speculations about the security of Chinese citizens must be avoided," he said.

"The Chinese citizens working in Pakistan are our guests. Providing security to Chinese nationals in Pakistan is our primary responsibility," he added. "Where necessary, the security system will be made more effective," he said.

 

Climate finance

 

Prime Minister Shehbaz visited Baku on Tuesday and Wednesday to participate in the "World Leaders' Climate Action Summit" of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

Addressing the summit on Wednesday, Shehbaz sensitised the global community on the risks posed by climate change and the vulnerabilities of developing countries. He called for grant-based climate finance that should not add to the debt burden of the developing nations.

"I strongly feel, that climate finance must be grant-based and not an addition to the debt burden of vulnerable developing countries. Here is the opportunity that the COP29 should make an understanding loud and clear that we will have to fulfil those financial pledges of COP27 and COP28," he said.

"Ten years ago in Paris, we had failed to stop the rise in emissions and catastrophic global warming. The Paris pledges made 10 years ago have yet to see the light of the day," he added. He highlighted the devastation faced by the people of Pakistan caused by the climate change-induced floods in 2022.

To meet the needs of the populations hit by the impacts of climate change and avert such devastations in the future, Shehbaz reiterated his call for the fulfilment of the pledges made in previous COP summits.

"Without climate justice, there can be no real resilience and I don't want other countries to face what Pakistan faced in 2022. Pakistan is a resilient, hardworking and responsible nation. We are fully committed to becoming part of the global climate solutions," he assured.

Shehbaz told the summit that Pakistan was going through a renewable energy revolution. He mentioned last year's a comprehensive National Adaptation Plan and this year's the National Carbon Market Framework.

"But we cannot do it alone. Pakistan needs international support to deliver on its climate ambition," he said. "We believe that COP29 can transform into Finance COP by restoring confidence in scaling up climate finance," he remarked.

On the sidelines of the summit, Shehbaz also held a meeting with the Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and discussed bilateral matters with him. Later in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz left Baku for Islamabad.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT)