Pakistan-China relationship has always been the cornerstone of Pak’s foreign policy: Jalil Abbas Jilani

NYINGCHI, Oct 06 (SABAH): Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has helped to transform Pakistan’s economic landscape and brought tangible benefits to the country.

He was talking to the director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs China Wang Yi during a meeting at the sidelines of third China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation in Nyingchi.

Foreign Minister said that the Pakistan-China relationship has always been the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He also extended congratulations on the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Speaking on the occasion, Wang Yi said Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad brothers.

He said that bilateral relations have withstood the test of time and continued to maintain a sound momentum of development. Wang Yi said that China stands ready to work with Pakistan to promote high-quality development of the CPEC.

Meanwhile Jalil Abbas Jilani defended the government’s decision to deport all illegal immigrants, including Afghans, from the country on Friday and termed the decision “in line with international practice”.

Jilani Abbas Jilani further said no other country allows illegal immigrants like Pakistan has in the past forty years. “No country allows illegal people to live in their country whether it is Europe, whether it is countries in Asia, in our neighbourhood,” Jilani said in an interview with Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV on the sidelines of a forum in Tibet.

“So, accordingly this is in line with the international practice that we have taken this decision,” he added. He added that Pakistan has been accommodating millions for the past four decades but now it is time for illegal refugees to return to their home country – especially since the situation in Afghanistan had “stabilised.”

“Whenever there was any problem, people would immigrate to Pakistan, take refuge in Pakistan. But now I think it has been more than 40 years, so the government of Pakistan has taken a decision,” Jilani said.

The minister further stated that the decision to evict aliens came after “a long time” of discussions. Jilani also called on international humanitarian agencies to help with the process.