Pakistan

Senate proceedings: Delhi could not digest corridor deal, says Dar

Govt briefs Senate on measures taken against climate change

Zahid Gishkori/maryam Usman July 11, 2015

“We have not closed our eyes. We don’t have soft corner for India. We are not beggars,” said Dar. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD:

New Delhi should not cast an evil eye on Pakistan’s economic prosperity, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar warned India on Friday. “Pakistan’s next-door neighbour India could not digest Pak-China Economic Corridor Project deal,” Dar told the Upper House of Parliament. He was responding to a notice moved by Senator Sassui Palijo of Pakistan Peoples Party.

Palijo had drawn the attention of Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif towards the destruction of infrastructure along the border due to heavy mortar shelling by Indian troops.

“We would give a befitting response to any Indian aggression [both on economic and war fronts]. It [Indian aggression] directly links to our recent economic stability, particularly in the form of Pak-China economic deal,” he told the lawmakers.

Even Indian Premier Narendra Modi on his recent visit to China raised this issue arguing that our economic corridor’s route was controversial, he recalled. “But China has shown [Modi] the red flag,” he observed. Pakistan has been taking up issue of cross-border violation at international forums as well as with India, he said . “We have not closed our eyes. We don’t have a soft corner for India. We are not beggars,” he remarked.

During the course of the proceedings, senators expressed their concern over issuance of alleged fake NOCs by ministry of interior for bulletproof vehicles. Senator Talha Mahmood of Jammiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl informed the Senate that over three dozen NOCs issued to various dignitaries were believed to be found fake. “It is a serious matter. The government should take notice of it,” he observed.

The Senate also passed the Credit Bureau Bill, 2015 which was moved by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The bill provides for the incorporation and functioning of Credit Bureau.

Ministry of Climate Change had previously also zeroed in on the expected changes in global climate and their possible effects on environment in the country.

Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan shared the precautionary measures being taken to minimise the impact of climate change.

In a written reply to the Senate question-hour on Friday, the minister stated that the average global temperature of the earth has been increasing. This was due to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century.

According to the minister, the most prominent aspect of climate change is the resulting increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Events such as floods, droughts, cyclonic activities, extremely high or extremely low temperature and extreme precipitation events were examples of all such events etc.

He also pointed to an increasing trend in the occurrence of extreme events over the past two decades.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (27)

globalobserver | 9 years ago | Reply @Haider: ".Regarding route from disputed territory….You are making dams and all that in your side and we just cant make a route.Thats not fair…" It is Pakistan's official position that all of Inidan Kashmir, AJK, G/B and northern areas are disputed territory. India, on the other hand, considers all these areas a integral part of India based on accession documents. So, you can't, on the one hand, say it is disputed and then say that you have the right to get China to build through these disputed areas.

Haider | 9 years ago | Reply @Meghana I second what you stated about India's economy and all that....Pakistan China Economic Corridor is just an economic program which will benefit entire region.....Regarding route from disputed territory....You are making dams and all that in your side and we just cant make a route.Thats not fair... China and Pakistan both have rejected India's objections so now India should move on..

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Tyggar | 9 years ago | Reply @kamal: By the same logic, Pakistani Christians ruled you for 300 years

devindersingh | 9 years ago | Reply @shiraz: Yes bcz there is a difference between loan and aid

kamal | 9 years ago | Reply @Pawan Kumar: I can understand your frustration Pawan. You couldn't do much against us despite your conventional strength. Had the chance. Threw it away. Now you know its too late. The day of reckoning will be soon upon you. Trust me!!!

Meghana | 9 years ago | Reply @shiraz: There is a huge difference between emerging market economies like india,Brazil,China that take loan for industrialisation which they pay back in fix period, and the aid you get which is for free. You fall in second category who are recipient of such aid under the pretext of natural disaster, victimhood of terrorism, polio etc from suadi and USA to run your economy which is in shambles. Where as your neighbour nation have scaled upward have removed millions out of poverty from 41% to 21% in just 15 years. Surpassed China to become worlds fastest economy this year which growth rate 7.3%, Where as China slumped and its stock market crashed this week. India sustained both Greek and China market crash. India has upscaled and become third largest economy in world in terms of gdp(PPP) and ninth in terms of gdp(nominal), with per capita income too more than yours. Because of faster growth rate it will remove more people from poverty to middle class further fuelling the economy. The problem is not the corridor to india. But the one of the province which in runs in which india and Pakistan disputes which is yet to be solved, naturally objections will be raised.

Pawan Kumar | 9 years ago | Reply @kamal: I can only pity your thinking. You are seriously gone case.

Just Human | 9 years ago | Reply @Kamal: Not few, just all of them with pakistan

Zain | 9 years ago | Reply First return Pakistan's looted billions to Pakistan then talk bug Mr Royal Brother in Law You showed hundreds of millions of your rupees as given to your son as qarz e hasna instead of declaring them and paying taxes on them if they were earned right

kamal | 9 years ago | Reply @Pawan Kumar: With Zaid being AWOL someone has to tell it the way it is. You are wrong sir. After the first Muslim invasion around 750AD the invading soldiers mated with converted native Indian women and the first generation of 'us were born'. So yes 1300 years ago there was some native blood in us. But then add a couple of zeroes and the conversion was more of evolution type - for everyone LOL. Please!!

shiraz | 9 years ago | Reply @Dan: check your stats. India is one of the largest recipient of IMF loan....just google please.

Haider | 9 years ago | Reply @Pawan Kumar "Just remember if Allah have to choose it will choose India over pakistan bcoz you people’s false arrogance and ignorance." Man God knows everything...OK and stop giving this kind of stupid statements

Pawan Kumar | 9 years ago | Reply @kamal: You represent everything that is wrong with pakistan. Just remember if Allah have to choose it will choose India over pakistan bcoz you people's false arrogance and ignorance. Muslims were at peak by 14th century when Islam was open, inclusive and humble. Its because of mentality like you exhibit that Muslims are suffering world over. BTW Mughals were turk-Mongolian people and you have nothing common with them except religion. Indian sub-contient muslims were suffering in those times as anybody else.

kamal | 9 years ago | Reply @Dubya: Before 500 years we did not have time for you, were too busy with Eastern and Southern Europe, Africa and Central Asia. What about you guys, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Assam, Burma. You have me in stitches.

Kamal | 9 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Your logic has me stumped. A Pakistani troll on a Pakistani forum. The Indian trolls will have a field day on your comment.

Kamal | 9 years ago | Reply @Axis: If you really believe winning a few battles wins the decisive war (the one which is coming and will be thermonuclear), then I can only congratulate you on your few successes and laugh at your naivety.

Tepper | 9 years ago | Reply The consequence of this would be that India would go ahead with its development plan and investments in the Indian side of Kashmir. Now Pakistan needs to ask itself, is this corridor worth the risk of alienating Kashmiris forever? India has the money to invest in Kashmir and also get foreign investments from other countries in sums much much larger than one invested by China here. If Kashmiris start becoming prosperous, Pakistan sponsored Kashmiri freedom movement will in all likelihood fade away.

Shuaib | 9 years ago | Reply @Malatesh Dammalli: That is the most delusional comment I've read,to say the least.

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply If you Sir have so much faith in this....why are your businesses, family, wealth all parked in Dubai ?

V. C. Bhutani | 9 years ago | Reply With due regard to the Hon'ble Minister of Finance, I beg to submit that he and other Pakistanis should not lose sight of international relations over the last 70 years since World War II. So much has happened which affects India that everybody who is anybody in India thinks carefully before welcoming something which looks like early 20th century idea of containment. It will be a long time before China is seen as a benevolent world power: for the present, China is still immersed in the same outdated ideas of containment, colonialism, and world dominance - which used to be the speciality of Western powers till the other day. Now, if Pakistan becomes a tool in the hands of other powers in their games of containment, colonialism, and world dominance, then it should not expect India to applaud. V. C. Bhutani, Delhi, 11 July 2015, 1224 IST

Malatesh Dammalli | 9 years ago | Reply Earlier Pakistan used to raise Kashmir agenda on every international forum stating that it is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Now, India is saying the same , it is disputed territory and China has no rights to make any demographic changes.. India will not allow it to complete at any cost. Pakistan should create peaceful environment and then come to table and resolve this issue for the sake of 47 billion dollar investment from China.

Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply Actually its more nooras like you that we couldn't digest. If you guys leave pakistan for good, we will progress better than you think.

Dubya | 9 years ago | Reply @kamal: How about zapping of conversion to Muslim from what you were 500 years before .... Impossible NO ??

Dan | 9 years ago | Reply Look who is talking. A country that needs modern weapons as aids from other countries to survive, a country that needs money as loans from IMF, World Bank like bodies to maintain its economy from falling, half the country is in darkness due to power shortages, a polio infected nation that needs anti polio drugs from other countries to protect their children, and the list goes on and on. If this is not begging, then what is, Mr. Dar? As far as CPEC is considered, take this corridor outside disputed land of PoK, India will not have any problems then. If Pakistan can object India building dams and other construction works being carried out in J &K, citing it as a disputed land, so can India. Why would India hold back??

Axis | 9 years ago | Reply @Kamal.....offcourse... the shame of losing 4 wars....pain of losing east Pak n siachin.....and humiliation of the biggest surrender of 93k soldiers will not be easy to forget :)

kamal | 9 years ago | Reply Of course not. Sworn enemies are not supposed to like the success of another. Or is there someone out there who feels there is love lost between us and India. To be friends we need to zap 500 years of muslim dominance from the Indian mind. Impossible, no?

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