Pak-China Institute Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who is also a prominent leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Qauid (PML-Q), said on Wednesday that the Americans were looking for a scapegoat for their flawed and failed policy in Afghanistan.
“We should be grateful to the US administration as their blame game and baseless accusations have got all Pakistanis united. This unity and resolve by the Pakistanis would reflect in Thursday’s All Parties Conference (APC),” said Mushahid while addressing a book-launching ceremony to acknowledge the services of Yan Lijin, a distinguished Chinese scholar.
Other politicians, diplomats, retired army officers, bureaucrats and writers had also gathered at the event where Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, former foreign secretary Akram Zaki, former ISI chief and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee General (r) Ihsanul Haq and Lijin expressed their candid views. The launching ceremony of book ‘Harmony’ held under the aegis of Pak-China Institute.
Mushahid said harmony, co-existence and peace were the main features of the thousands-year-old rich Chinese civilisation’s history, adding that the Chinese, right from eminent scholar Confucius, had learnt to live in harmony and the successive generations had successfully exhibited transition of power to newer ones, pulling around millions out of poverty and hunger.
“Chinese have complete harmony in politics, economy and foreign policy. China’s peaceful rise is reflective of this fact.” Referring to Pak-China friendship, he said, “Let me tell you that China is the only friend of Pakistan who never asked for a quid pro quo for its unwavering and continued support by standing by us in all hard times. Other than Kashmir and the nuclear assets, China is the subject which gets consensus support from politicians, generals and people from all walks of life.”
He said the Pak-China Institute had made several initiative to further cement ties between the two friendly states, adding that Sadia Haseeb, the president of the cultural of the institute, was working on a documentary ‘Journey of Friendship,’ which would be launched soon. Referring to the book, Mushahid said Yan Lijin was a friend of Pakistan who had helped in diplomatic and economic terms and always stood for the cause of Pakistan for which he was accorded Sitar-e-Imtiaz.
Akram Zaki said just like the failure in Cambodia in 1970s resulting into unilateral defeat and exit from South East Asia, any US bid to attack Pakistan would meet the same fate and the invaders would be driven out by the military and the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir lauded the contributions made by Pak-China Institute in bringing the peoples of both the countries closer, saying these initiative speak loud about the commitment and patriotism of Mushahid for the country’s interests.
He described Pak-China friendship as priceless and said it was rooted in hearts of the peoples of both the nations. “Learning about Chinese civilisation needs a lifetime. One feels amazed to see how fast the Chinese had developed which is self-explanatory,” he said. “China is the only modern voice in the comity of nations as its policies are based on principles,” he said, adding that ‘Harmony’ spoke for the resilience and harmony observed by the people of China.
General (r) Ihsanul Haq said there was no imminent threat of US attack but the armed forces and the people were ready for any war-like situation, adding that Pakistan should focus on achieving self reliance. “Friendships should not aim at seeking aid from any nation and rather we should plan for self reliance,” he said. Yan Lijin said Pakistan was like a home and his love for Pakistan and its people grew by each time he visited Pakistan.
“I was prompted to write this book because harmony is what we find lacking in the world we live in today,” he said. Harmony was the only road to prosperity and development, he added.
