Crossing limits
The deferment of the visit of President of China to Pakistan for security reasons is an ominous development from a myriad of perspectives. It is the biggest ever diplomatic embarrassment for the country. Maybe it does not affect the warmth and amity that exists in the bilateral relations between the two countries and the visit could take place at a later date agreed mutually when the security situation improves, it surely has sent very wrong signals to the world community. It has not only tarnished the image of the country among the comity of nations as a country capable of governing itself democratically in line with the constitutional norms but has also rendered a big blow to the prospects of direct foreign investment in the country so vital to revive the economy.
China since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1951 has always stood by Pakistan and played a monumental role in its economic development, besides lending unqualified support in strengthening its military muscle. It has been imparting strength to our causes at the international level. In the wake of denial of civil nuclear technology to Pakistan by the US and its western allies and their discriminatory decision to sign agreements for transfer of the same to India, it was only China who announced to assist Pakistan in this area and its assistance in building Chashma III and IV is a ranting proof of the exemplary friendship between the two countries. In fact it is not a friendship between the two governments but between the two people which has given them the strength to withstand the vicissitudes of time and gain dizzying heights.
At a time when due to perilous and ever deteriorating security and law and order situation in the country foreign investment had almost stopped, it was China who came forward and worked with the PML-N government to give a new direction to the time-tested friendship by making a commitment to invest US$ 34 billion in Pakistan under the Pak-China Economic Corridor, entailing projects relating to development of infrastructure, energy, motorways, rail links between Kashghar and Gwadar and the development of Gwadar port. The Chinese President was visiting Pakistan to formalise the agreements already reached between the two countries and set the projects rolling at the earliest possible. The postponement of the visit is surely going to delay the much needed boost to our economy. Chinese investment in Pakistan was viewed as a catalyst for attracting foreign investment from other foreign sources due to its demonstrative effect and enhancement in the confidence of the investors in the safety of their investments and their mutually beneficial impact.
This sad development is surely a sequel to the perilous security situation in the federal capital as a result of the sit-ins organised by PAT and PTI in the Red Zone and the challenges posed to the writ of the state by their workers by attacking the Parliament, PTV headquarters and rendering the government almost dysfunctional by blocking the entry to the Pakistan Secretariat. Almost all the embassies in the Red Zone have also stopped working. The inflammatory and provocative statements made by the leaders of both these entities and encouragement to their workers to violence, constitute an open revolt against the state. There is a permeating impression among the Pakistani masses as well as the world community that both these gentlemen are acting as proxies for some other power. This surely has added an element of suspicion and uncertainty in the minds of the foreign investors, countries interested in helping Pakistan to get out of the economic mess and the international lending agencies. The continued stalemate has also accrued a loss of more than one thousand billion rupees to the economy as estimated by the economic experts and the rupee which had staged a comeback in its parity value with dollar as a result of imaginative and effective measures taken by the government, has again been pushed on the downward curve.
The onus of cancellation of the visit of Chinese President to Pakistan and the ever increasing economic losses to the country lies squarely on the shoulders of the duo of Imran Khan and Qadri who through their unconstitutional demands and actions (declared so by the Lahore High Court) have pushed the country into a crucible of political crisis of unimaginable proportions. Taking out rallies and protesting against the perceived injustices or mistakes made by the government, is a democratic right of the people or the political entities and nobody would grudge it in a democratic dispensation. But nobody in a democratic polity would either permit or tolerate a behaviour steeped in violence and getting the demands accepted at gun point. I would prefer to call it political terrorism.
All over the world, the ruling and opposition parties do have differences on policy issues and the latter oppose the governments in the parliament and sometimes even hold rallies to press for the acceptance of their views but they never go to the extent of attacking the state institutions. The preferred strategy is to resolve the differences through a process of dialogue. Nevertheless they are invariably unanimous on the objectives of their foreign policy. The PAT and PTI leaders knew about the scheduled visit of the Chinese President but they persisted with their ‘dharnas’ accentuating security concerns of the foreign countries, including China.
It is really a matter of shame that even after the cancellation of the visit, they are adamant to continue their sit-ins and are trying to blame the government for its failure to improve the security situation in the capital. The Canada-returned cleric continues with his belligerent blustering and threatening to destabilise the system. He even made a ridiculous assertion that he and his workers would provide security to the Chinese President if he comes to Pakistan and would shower tones of rose petals on him. That indicates his total lack of understanding of relations between the two states and their perceptions about security issues.
All the political forces represented in the Parliament, lawyers, media representative bodies, civil society and even judiciary have put their weight behind democracy and constitutional rule in the country. In view of this strong message to them as well as their mentors that their unconstitutional demands and machinations would not be allowed to succeed, they better revisit their script and avail the face-saving exit provided to them by the government by re-initiating the process of dialogue with them.
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