Concerned China asks all parties in Pakistan to stay united as Prime Minister Imran Khan Govt set to fall

China, Pakistan's all-weather ally on Thursday reacted guardedly to the potential defeat of Prime Minister Imran Khan's government in Parliament, urging all political parties in the country to stay united in the interest of stability and development.

Beijing: China, Pakistan's all-weather ally on Thursday reacted guardedly to the potential defeat of Prime Minister Imran Khan's government in Parliament, urging all political parties in the country to stay united in the interest of stability and development. China is committed to non-interference policy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here while replying to a question about whether Beijing is concerned that any change of leadership in Pakistan could impact its close strategic ties with Pakistan. As an all-weather strategic cooperative partner, friendly neighbour of Pakistan, China sincerely hopes that all parties in Pakistan will stay united and uphold the major interest of development and stability, Wang Wenbin added.

Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Khan on Wednesday effectively lost majority in Parliament after Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a key partner of the ruling coalition, joined the ranks of the Opposition, which had tabled a no-confidence motion against his government in the National Assembly. Khan has been claiming that the Opposition's no-confidence motion against him was the result of a foreign conspiracy because of his external policy and funds were being channelled from abroad to oust him from power. As political crisis gripped Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a close confidant of Prime Minister Khan that Beijing has agreed to rollover USD 4.2 billion Pakistan debt due to be paid this week.

Qureshi is currently visiting China to attend the Neighbourhood Countries Foreign Ministers conference on Afghanistan. "I am immensely happy to share that the Chinese FM has given a nod of approval on the rollover of commercial loan as well," Qureshi was quoted as saying by Pakistan daily Dawn. The USD 4.2 billion debt, which was maturing this week, has been rolled over providing major financial relief to Pakistan, the daily reported.

Observers here say that China may not be unduly concerned about the fall of Imran Khan's government as Beijing sees the Pakistan military as the cornerstone of its ironclad ties with Islamabad. Also Beijing initially viewed Prime Minister Khan with reservations as he had criticised the USD 60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the run-up to elections. The current political crisis leading up to Khan losing majority support in the Parliament erupted just after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit on March 21.

Besides holding talks with Khan during his Pakistan visit, Wang had travelled to Rawalpindi the headquarters of the Pakistan Army where he held lengthy talks with its chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa during which he praised the Pakistan military's role in nurturing close ties. Pakistani military has played the role of a stabiliser and ballast stone in building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, Wang told Gen. Bajwa during the meeting, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release.

China appreciates the positive efforts and important contributions made by the Pakistani military over the years to consolidate and enhance the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan, ensure the safe and smooth development of the CPEC and safeguard the security of the Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan, Wang said apparently referring to the recurring attacks on thousands of Chinese workers engaged in CPEC projects. On Thursday, Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian told a media briefing here that the military-to-military relations, serving as the mainstay of the China-Pakistan friendship, have played an important role in the development of bilateral relations for a long time.

Commenting on the reports that the Pakistani Air Force recently held a ceremony for receiving the Chinese J-10CE fighter jets, Wu emphasised that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, true friends and iron brothers that share weal and woe. Wu added that the two militaries have achieved fruitful results in fields such as high-level visits, joint training and exercises, anti-epidemic cooperation and equipment technology, constantly enriching the connotation of bilateral strategic cooperation.

PTI