He should tell the truth to the people
Shortly after the elections and even before Nawaz Sharif took oath as PM, the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang came to Pakistan on a two-day visit on 22 May, 2013. He met President Asif Ali Zardari and the caretaker PM as required by the diplomatic protocol but had a long meeting with Nawaz Sharif. It may be noted that this was PM Li’s first foreign visit after becoming prime minister. Needless to mention that normally prime ministers do not make visits during interim setups. However, China recognised that the visit was necessary to have a one to one meeting with Nawaz Sharif.
As an experienced leader with vision, Sharif recognised the important opportunity from discussions with Premier Li Keqiang in their meeting in May. The meeting gave a chance to the two to develop a rapport that put in motion a process which made it possible to meet again which culminated in a five-day visit to China by Premier Nawaz Sharif only a few weeks after taking over in early July 2013. During this visit both sides identified areas of cooperation and signed agreements and MOUs, including the agreement to build the China-Gwadar economic corridor. These agreements envisaged an investment of about $52 billion over the next five years in coal power plants in Sindh and Punjab, hydroelectric projects in KP, economic zones every 200 miles along the economic corridor, fiber optic cable from China to Islamabad with connections to major cities, solar energy projects, the building of nuclear power plants in Punjab, and a railway connection from China to Gwadar deep sea port.
After return from his landmark visit to China Nawaz gave orders to vitalise the economic corridor secretariat in Islamabad and instituted a cell in the prime minister’s office to monitor progress on the projects agreed with China.
The Chinese government shortly after the PM’s visit instituted work on the preparation of the feasibility of the China-Gwadar economic corridor consisting of a road and a railway line.
It is envisaged that the China-Gwadar economic corridor will impact on the wellbeing of about three billion people in China, South Asia and Central Asia. It is expected to positively reduce transportation costs and time, open new trade and investment opportunities and provide new employment opportunities for people of the region.
The visit by President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in mid September which was well known has been postponed due to the “sit-in” in Islamabad by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. During this visit President Xi Jinping was to lay the foundation stones of some of the approved projects, witness the signing of the new agreements and take strategic partnership and economic cooperation to another level.
It is strange that fifteen months after elections Imran has challenged their results by a sit-in, but why could not he wait another two months? Why could Imran not postpone it till October, after President Xi Jinping’s visit? Why the sit-ins were timed to coincide and overlap the planned visit of the Chinese President?
Mr Imran Khan and his erudite associates, particularly Messers Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Omar, Dr Arif Alvi and Ms Shireen Mazari must come out and answer the above questions. The people of Pakistan want to know what game, if any, are they playing?
It has been reported in the electronic media that Imran and Qadri met in a place on Curzon Street, Mayfair, London, to hatch the so called “London Plan”. One needs to know why the news of this meeting was kept under wraps. People of Pakistan now want the truth. Imran who claims to be an honest person should come out in the open and tell the truth.
We all very well know who is against the China-Gwader economic corridor and has publicly protested against it. Are they pulling the strings or is Imran not cognizant of the immense damage and loss to the country’s economy and image? If no one is pulling his strings then his wisdom and loyalty to Pakistan are certainly in question.