PRIME Minister Imran Khan spoke candidly and categorically on Wednesday during his address to the Pakistan Strategy Dialogue under the auspices of the World Economic Forum (WEF) as he dwelt on several issues of interest to the country and the world community. He shared salient points of the strategy of the Government to deal with the ongoing threat of Covid-19, which has earned appreciation from the world community, tried to assuage uncalled-for concerns being expressed by some countries about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Afghan peace process for which Pakistan was making sincere contribution.
The Prime Minister adopted a clear cut policy of no complete lockdown from the very beginning and he reiterated the approach as the country was in the grip of the second wave that seems to be more serious than the first one as people are not taking the threat as seriously as they should, a fact highlighted by Imran Khan as well. There is no doubt that total lockdown will have unbearable pressure on the common man and, therefore, the policy being pursued by the Government to suspend non-essential sectors and social gatherings was the appropriate choice in the given situation. Imran Khan pointed out that Pakistan had stabilized its economy and was heading in the right direction when COVID-19 hit, and the government quickly realized that it could not impose a lockdown like the one imposed in Europe or China because of the impact of completely shutting down the country would have on daily wagers and labourers. The Government also distributed hundreds of billions of rupees as cash handout to the under-privileged segments of the society during the first wave of the virus but it is understood that it cannot continue with the policy of cash assistance anymore because of financial constraints.
The Prime Minister has a point when he says employment opportunities would not be shut due to Coronavirus but in the absence of stricter enforcement of restrictions for other gatherings, his announcement not to allow the opposition to hold public meetings would be interpreted in political perspective by his political opponents. This is because despite the serious situation, the authorities are not making people implement safety guidelines during visits to markets and mosques and attendance of marriage ceremonies. As for CPEC, he told the participants of the Strategy Dialogue that it was not exclusive just to China, though initially it was about connectivity and power generation but any country could be part of it. Both China and Pakistan have invited other regional countries to join the gigantic project and share fruits of progress and development. Therefore, instead of trying to create hurdles in the way of smooth implementation of an initiative that matters much for people of Pakistan, other countries should participate in CPEC as it is designed to give a boost to regional connectivity and trade. Pakistan is also pursuing a policy of peace with all neighbours as its focus on economic development can produce desired results only if there is peace and stability in the region.
With this in view, Pakistan has not only been exercising utmost restraint in the face of continued provocations by India but is also active on various fronts to promote a peaceful solution of the longstanding Afghan conflict. Imran Khan rightly pointed out that from day one, he had been advocating for dialogue to resolve the Afghan problem while the 19 years of conflict had borne no result. This view is not being shared by the United States, which sat on the negotiating table with Taliban, courtesy Pakistan, and as a result the two sides signed a historic peace accord. Though there are some hiccups in the way of intra-Afghan dialogue, irritants can surely be removed if there is genuine commitment to the cause of peace in the war-torn country. Apart from efforts for restoration of durable peace, it is also important that the international community provides much-needed assistance to Afghanistan for the gigantic process of rebuilding. The European Union has done well by committing 1.2 billion Euros for the next four years and other countries should also share the responsibility for stabilizing the country economically. The Prime Minister said he was convinced that US President-elect Joe Biden would not reverse the Afghan peace process, being the greatest achievement of President Trump, who did a great job in this connection. We hope that Pakistan would establish closer contacts with members of the new US Administration for meaningful consultations not just on the issue of the peace process in Afghanistan but also on ways and means to deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. Joe Biden has a reputation of lending a good ear to Pakistan and there is no reason he would not do so as President of the United States.
