Chinese President’s visit

Pakistan is in turmoil since this past 14^th August. China supports a stable and prosperous neighbour and Pakistan values its relations with China so much that at the peak of turmoil Pakistani leadership made an important visit to Beijing to finalise energy projects aiming at producing 10,400 megawatts of electricity. China supports Pakistani government without any conditions to resolve the political stalemate. On 3 September, Pakistan Foreign Ministry confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping would visit Islamabad as per schedule on 14-16 September. Some of the meetings will be held in Lahore, following the sit-in protest in Islamabad as was indicated by Pakistani sources.

On the same day Chinese Foreign Ministry observed that ‘China has been following the situation in Pakistan closely and sincerely hopes that parties concerned can resolve disputes peacefully’. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong requested officials to vacate the Red Zone – where most of the state buildings are situated — before the arrival of the Chinese President but the government remained unable to vacate the area from protestors. On Wednesday Chinese security delegation in Islamabad did not clear the city for safety reasons. So now Islamabad is an unsafe city for a high-powered Chinese delegation. This was not the case even during the heydays of terrorism.

However, following the sit-in protest in Islamabad organised by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and backed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Awami Muslim League (AML), President Xi decided not to come to Islamabad at this point in time due to security reasons. On his first leg of his South Asian tour, he was expected to visit Pakistan first and then to fly over to India and Sri Lanka. Earlier, Sri Lankan and Maldives’ Presidents also cancelled their trips to Islamabad in the last month following political turmoil. The cancellation of the visit is an unbearable historic diplomatic loss and is not tolerable.

There are leaders in PTI and PML-Q such as Dr Shireen Mazari and Senator Mushahid Hussain. The latter championed the cause of China-Pakistan relations and heads the China-Pakistan Institute at Islamabad. The former has been running the Pakistan Council on China. It was their national responsibility to have convinced their parties to end the sit-in long before the coming of Chinese President Xi to Pakistan but they waited till the end of the cancellation/postponement of the visit. It is a national crime committed by these leaders and their parties.

Some confusion surrounded the visit. National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz said that the ‘Chinese President’s visit won’t be cancelled; however, it was a plausibility that it could be postponed’. Meanwhile Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that ‘the visit had been cancelled’.

These high-level visits are arranged after foreign ministries at both ends make hectic efforts for months and years. Pakistani leaders have frequently gone to China since May 2013 following the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in May last. So the visit of President Xi was due.

The Federal Government also needs to take some responsibility. While the Joint Session of the Parliament was underway, why no resolution or commitment was made to ensure the Chinese President’s forthcoming visit? Why did it not ensure its writ in the Federal Capital and allowed sit-in protesters to entirely take over the city? When was Pakistan Secretariat controlled by sit-in protestors? Is it possible for a foreign leader to visit a capital city in such a lawlessness situation? When the state-run television headquarters was attacked and ransacked on 3 September, is it possible for a foreign leader to visit Pakistan? Islamabad is under a revolt-like situation and the government is expecting the Chinese President to visit! The government must admit that it was their collective failure, including the visits from Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just returned from Japan after paying a five-day visit. Japan is bringing huge investment to India. After cancellation of the visit to Pakistan, President Xi will be welcomed in New Delhi. Pakistan has missed out that opportunity. It is a diplomatic and economic setback. Agreements worth US$ 35 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were expected to be inked during President Xi’s visit. The postponement of President Xi’s visit to Pakistan is a major blow and an intolerable loss.

The sit-in parties and their leaders must take responsibility for this. They painted a gloomy picture of Pakistan abroad and tarnished its image. The efforts launched by the government in the last 14 months to put the economy on fast track have been damaged. There are losses well above one trillion rupees. Dollar has gone up to Rs103. There are invisible losses. Many contracts have been cancelled. The protesting leaders have achieved what they wanted. Unfortunately, they have won and Pakistan has lost. Is this their vision of a ‘New Pakistan’?