Diplomatic ties: Foreign office still upbeat on Chinese president’s visit
PML-N leaders lash out at Imran Khan, Qadri for jeopardising trip
ISLAMABAD:
The fate of Chinese President Xi Jingping’s visit to Pakistan remains unconfirmed as there have been reports that he may postpone his trip to Pakistan due to the current political unrest in the country.
Private television channels quoted Chinese officials as telling Pakistan on Thursday that the visit could not take place under the current security environment, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam refused to officially confirm the development.
Hours before the reported postponement of the Chinese president’s visit, the spokesperson told reporters here at a weekly news briefing discussions were ongoing regarding the visit. “Both sides are closely monitoring the situation in Islamabad. At the moment, I have nothing more to say,” she added.
Prime Minister’s Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the final decision would be taken within the next 24 hours. Foreign Office officials told The Express Tribune that both sides were in contact with each other to decide whether the visit could take place according to the schedule.
Officials said the foreign ministry also suggested talks between the Chinese president and Pakistani leadership could be shifted from Islamabad to Lahore. Senior PML-N leaders reacted angrily to reports of the possible postponement of the visit on social media sites.
“IK and TUQ, people of Pakistan will never forgive you. You ruined one year’s hard efforts of Pakistan and Chinese governments for groundbreaking of projects worth billion of dollars,” read a tweet by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif also reacted to the news via Twitter. “The Chinese president’s visit postponed. Progress and development thwarted and subverted, agenda fulfilled…well done IK and TUQ,” she wrote.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari expressed regret over the inability of all parties concerned to end the standoff in Islamabad, saying the protests have resulted in ‘the most unfortunate setback to our relations with China’. He called upon the government to seek an immediate rescheduling of the visit and an immediate and peaceful resolution to the sit-in in the capital.
The Chinese president is undertaking his first visit to South Asia in the second week of September during which he will travel to neighbouring India and Sri Lanka. If his visit to Pakistan is postponed, it would be seen as a major setback to the government. Foreign ministry officials say they are hopeful the visit will take place if the protests end peacefully this week.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2014.
The fate of Chinese President Xi Jingping’s visit to Pakistan remains unconfirmed as there have been reports that he may postpone his trip to Pakistan due to the current political unrest in the country.
Private television channels quoted Chinese officials as telling Pakistan on Thursday that the visit could not take place under the current security environment, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam refused to officially confirm the development.
Hours before the reported postponement of the Chinese president’s visit, the spokesperson told reporters here at a weekly news briefing discussions were ongoing regarding the visit. “Both sides are closely monitoring the situation in Islamabad. At the moment, I have nothing more to say,” she added.
Prime Minister’s Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the final decision would be taken within the next 24 hours. Foreign Office officials told The Express Tribune that both sides were in contact with each other to decide whether the visit could take place according to the schedule.
Officials said the foreign ministry also suggested talks between the Chinese president and Pakistani leadership could be shifted from Islamabad to Lahore. Senior PML-N leaders reacted angrily to reports of the possible postponement of the visit on social media sites.
“IK and TUQ, people of Pakistan will never forgive you. You ruined one year’s hard efforts of Pakistan and Chinese governments for groundbreaking of projects worth billion of dollars,” read a tweet by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif also reacted to the news via Twitter. “The Chinese president’s visit postponed. Progress and development thwarted and subverted, agenda fulfilled…well done IK and TUQ,” she wrote.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari expressed regret over the inability of all parties concerned to end the standoff in Islamabad, saying the protests have resulted in ‘the most unfortunate setback to our relations with China’. He called upon the government to seek an immediate rescheduling of the visit and an immediate and peaceful resolution to the sit-in in the capital.
The Chinese president is undertaking his first visit to South Asia in the second week of September during which he will travel to neighbouring India and Sri Lanka. If his visit to Pakistan is postponed, it would be seen as a major setback to the government. Foreign ministry officials say they are hopeful the visit will take place if the protests end peacefully this week.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2014.