Talks with India & normal trade activities to remain elusive without resolution of Kashmirs: Anwaarul Haq Kakar
ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (SABAH): Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar says Belt and Road Initiative, being a flagship component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), will give the much-needed huge leap to the Pakistani economy. The Prime Minister further said talks with India and normal trade activities will remain elusive without resolution of the Kashmir issue as per will of Kashmiris and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In an interview with a Chinese media network, Anwaarul Haq Kakar said the CPEC is a win-win for both countries.
The Prime Minister said the project offers immense opportunities to Pakistan to develop our infrastructure and energy sector, our ports especially the Gwadar port which is being connected with the rest of the country.
He said we look forward to multiple north south rail and road networks. He said as we enter the second phase of this project, the connectivity it offers has brought the Chinese and Pakistani societies more close than before.
To a question about his visit to Urumqi, Anwaarul Haq Kakar said the area will be linked with Pakistan’s northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan through roads network thus reviving the old silk route.
He said Urumqi would be gateway for Pakistan with mainland China, and Pakistan anticipates a lot of trade and economic activity through this project. He said it will also usher in a new wave of tourism in the region as there are a lot of historic and civilizational sites to be witnessed on the route.
He said the initiatives will also transform the socio-economic lives of people of the two regions.
To another question, the Prime Minister said he is highly impressed by the tremendous modernization and economic growth that China has went through.
About the situation in Gaza, Anwaarul Haq Kakar said it is humanitarian crisis but the first and foremost thing to do is establishment of humanitarian assistance corridor to ensure supply of food, medicine and then the short, mid and long term solutions can be sorted out. He said saving precious Palestinian lives is the foremost prerequisite.
Replying to another question, Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said the challenge of climate change requires collective efforts and global partners as it cannot be handled single handedly by any country. He said Pakistan is a victim of climate change, which is going to become existential threat to many countries and a national security challenge for the global community.
Regarding a question about Pakistan’s relations with China, the United States, and other global powers, the Prime Minister said Beijing’s rise is natural and no power on earth can undo this and there is a need to have better coordination rather than containing China. He said Pakistan strongly believes in this and have expressed these views in a very candid manner in Washington and Beijing.
The Prime Minister, however, said Pakistan does have some commonalties with the United States on the issues of security and counterterrorism. He said Pakistan has been coordinating and cooperating with rest of the world, along with China, in a responsible manner. He recalled that Pakistan being a frontline state in the war on terror had suffered a lot and lost around 90,000 people in that global fight.
Replying to a question on Pakistan’s relations with India, Anwaarul Haq Kakar said Islamabad has consistently been demonstrating its intent to have peaceful neighborhood relations with New Delhi. He said Pakistan has been sending signals and right kind of messages on different occasions, but Islamabad is not being reciprocated by New Delhi. He said the desire for peace on the other side seems to be an elusive idea and we have to wait for that moment, where it is realized that dialogue is the only answer and panacea to the problems and challenges to this region.