Monday, January 29, 2018
China - Sharp power concept proves Western bias
Western strategists are good at concocting all sorts of concepts. But sharp power, used by the Western media to portray China and Russia, involves an obvious subjective value judgment. Different from hard power and soft power, sharp power is, in fact, a pseudo-academic concept useful for confirming Western biases.
According to these strategists, the West is employing soft power to fund academics and set up cultural institutes in China. But the Hong Kong-based China-US Exchange Foundation's funding of the University of Texas at Austin and China's Confucius Institutes are examples of this sharp power.
It's beyond China's capability, and doesn't conform to the country's diplomatic ideals, to influence the values of Western society by penetration.
For China, the sole purpose of outbound cultural exchange is to foster a friendly attitude toward China in foreign countries. Chinese people have never thought of stamping Chinese characteristics on Western social governance and ideology.
Western criticism and sensationalization of China's sharp power is probably caused by the West's increasing loss of confidence. The concept may mark the beginning of the West's gradual shift from a full-scale offensive to a defensive posture toward China.
In recent years, the West's influence has been declining in China while the collective confidence of Chinese society keeps rising. The era where the West proudly exports its values to China may have come to an end while China's growing economic influence in the West may lead to worries about a different future.
The Western idea of human rights is now only connected with a very small number of dissidents and separatists in China, and has completely failed to appeal to Chinese people. The Chinese public has a stronger aversion than officials to Western preach about human rights in China.
"Human rights" is one of the core concepts that the West uses to influence Chinese society, and the West's setback in this regard has crippled its whole soft power. China's cultural confidence is rapidly recovering and has entered a new era where China and the West enjoy a new equality of thought and ideas, a rare phenomenon.
China has different national conditions from the West, and this determines its different power structure from Western countries. Instead of being all about Western interests and standards - as if they represented the whole international community - China and the West should adapt to each other.
As long as China stands up for its principles, the West cannot manipulate world public opinion. This has raised anxieties among some Westerners that China may instead penetrate the West.
China's legislature discusses Constitution revision
The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee convened Monday to discuss amending the Constitution.
Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting.
Entrusted by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Li Zhanshu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, briefed lawmakers about a proposed revision.
At its second plenary session earlier this month, the 19th CPC Central Committee adopted the proposal.
"Major theoretical achievements, principles and policies adopted at the 19th CPC National Congress, particularly Xi JinpingThought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, should be incorporated into the upcoming revision to the Constitution," said Li, also deputy head of a group working on the revision. "We should keep pace with the times and improve the Constitution while maintaining its consistency, stability and authority."
In 1982, the fifth NPC adopted the present Constitution, which was amended in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004.
"The Constitution has been proven good legislation that fits in China's reality and meets demands of the times," Li said.
Lawmakers also reviewed a motion about the first session of the 13th NPC and a number of official appointments and dismissals.
On Monday afternoon, chairman and vice chairpersons also met and heard a report on lawmakers' discussions, a motion to review a draft revision to the Constitution and the draft itself. The meeting was presided over by Zhang.
They agreed to review these documents and make further revisions, before deciding at their next meeting whether to put them for vote.
US falls behind China in global leadership approval: Gallup survey
The median global approval rate of the US leadership in world affairs has dropped behind that of China over the past year, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by American consulting company Gallup, found that approval of US leadership in more than 130 countries had dropped to 30 percent in 2017, the lowest since the company began tracking the measure a decade ago.
China scored a 31 percent approval rate, the same as the previous year.
The survey said the US image was weaker in "every part of the world" and stable ratings in China give it "an advantage over the US."
In the Americas, where the US approval dropped to new lows and China won more approval, China may be positioned to take further advantage as it has overtaken the US as the top trading partner in parts of Latin America, the survey said.
China also exceeded the US in approval rates in Asia. The two countries' approval ratings were tied in Europe and the US and China both have positive images in Africa.The shift, according to media reports, comes as the US is facing an unprecedented trust crisis, while China takes on more important roles in global governance and wins the hearts and minds of people at home and abroad with successful campaigns such as the anti-corruption war.
The Gallup survey was based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with about 1,000 adults in each studied country or area between March and November 2017. They were asked to rate the United States, German, Russian and Chinese leadership in world affairs.
Radio silence after ‘very productive’ Putin-Netanyahu Moscow talks
The pair watched a presentation of the upcoming film ‘Sobibor’ about the only successful uprising in a Nazi death camp and visited the Museum’s exhibition. Following the public event, the leaders held talks behind closed doors.
Putin and Netanyahu discussed a number of bilateral and regional issues, as well as the process of reconciliation in Syria, the Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. The Syrian National Dialogue Congress, currently taking place in Sochi, was also among the topics discussed, the official said, without providing any details.
Senior Israeli official Ze'ev Elkin, who came to Moscow alongside Netanyahu, said the meeting between the two leaders was “very fruitful and lasted longer than it was planned.” Meetings between Putin and Netanyahu have “contributed greatly to the security of our country,” he added. The Israeli prime minister highlighted some of the topics he discussed with Putin in a recorded statement posted on Twitter. Netanyahu said he told the Russian president about his concerns of “Iranian attempts to create military bases in Syria,” and of Tehran’s alleged attempts to place “high-precision weapons” in Lebanon to target Israel. Tel Aviv firmly opposes such actions and will act on its own if the international community won’t handle the issue, he warned Putin. The reaction of the Russian president to these statements, however, remained a mystery.
Taliban attacks cast doubts on US' Afghan strategy
It seems as if there is no end in sight to the spate of deadly attacks occurring relentlessly in Afghanistan, killing scores and throwing lives in disarray. Is the new US strategy responsible for this spike in terror? A string of brutal attacks over the past several weeks, killing and injuring hundreds of innocent Afghans, have shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in Afghanistan and made it once again a staple of international headlines.
The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
Both the Taliban and the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the violence.
A bloody start
2018 did not start on a positive note for the nation ravaged by the vagaries of conflict and turmoil over the past several decades. Many Afghans believe the attacks they have witnessed in January mark only the beginning in the latest bout of violence. Fears abound about the number of casualties rising in the coming months. The alleged peace talks that were mentioned only a few weeks ago are now but a distant memory.
What are the reasons for this surge in violence? The latest attacks can be regarded as a response to the recent US military offensive in the Afghan provinces Helmand, Nangarhar, Kunduz and others, said A.D. Mohammad Arif, an Afghan security expert.
"The Taliban usually start their offensive after the winter (as a spring offensive), but they have now brought it forward in response to the US' new Afghanistan strategy. They want to show that they are far from being defeated," Arif told DW.
Unlike in previous years, the US, along with Afghan security forces, began its offensive against the insurgents in the winter this year. The move is part of the US' new Afghan strategy, unveiled by President Donald Trump in August 2017.
Trump then affirmed that he would increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan and remain engaged in the country until it no longer needed them. The US president also blamed Pakistan as the main reason for the lack of progress in Afghanistan.
To lend weight to his words, Trump even froze US military aid to Islamabad.
Washington's stated objective is to put pressure on Pakistan until Pakistani authorities revoke their alleged support to outfits like the Afghan Taliban and other insurgent groups.
The right solution? A
t a press conference on Monday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani indirectly blamed Pakistan for the recent series of attacks. "(The Taliban) have claimed responsibility without hesitation, as per their masters' wish. These masters have made it clear that they will not bow to pressure from the outside," said Ghani.
Nicole Birtsch, an Afghanistan expertat the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), is also of the view that the recent attacks could be a reaction to the air strikes and anti-insurgent operations the US military and Afghan security forces have been jointly carrying out against the Taliban. Birtsch is unconvinced about the effectiveness of the US strategy to pressure Pakistan. "The strategy does not lead to a conducive environment for the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan to hold talks on an equal footing."
The analyst says she is not optimistic about the near future, suspecting that the coming weeks will continue to be characterized by escalating violence. "I fear that people in Kabul, in particular, are losing hope for a more stable future because of the violence. They are therefore merely surviving rather than living."
Marxist lecture on Literature makes waves in Pakistan
On Thursday, 25 January a lecture was held in the Al Hamra Hall, a well known cultural center in Lahore on the topic of “Marxism and Literature”, by the British Marxist Alan Woods, organized by the Progressive Youth Alliance.
More than 150 students, young lecturers, poets, short story writers and others attended the discussion. The hall was completely packed. Many participants couldn’t find seats and attended the discussion while standing and some were sitting on the stairs. Many others were unable to attend the discussion because hall was full to overflowing. Some people had travelled long distances to attend this Lecture. A delegation of more than ten young Lecturers and school teachers had come from Gujranwala traveling a distance of more than 60km.
The meeting was chaired by Zain ul Abideen, National Organizer of the Progressive Youth Alliance. He introduced Alan Woods to the audience by describing his writings on Literature and Art along with his works on Politics and Philosophy.
To begin the meeting revolutionary poetry was recited by poets including Paras Jan, Imran Hashmi and Ali Shazif Bukhari.
Alan Woods opened the discussion by his remarks on the revolutionary poetry and Literature of this region. He said poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Nazim Hikmet played an important role in the class struggles in their countries. He pointed out that very few people in the West know about the huge treasures of Literature of this land and have forgotten the important role played by poetry in revolutionary struggles in their own countries in the past. He said, “that poetry is an important weapon in these struggles and poets like Faiz had used this weapon very effectively. Today the revolutionary poets of Pakistan are the children of Faiz.” He also commented on the rich history of literature in the Indian Sub-continent, beginning with epics like Mahabharta. He expressed regret that he was only able to read these works in English.
“Poetry can never be adequately conveyed in translation. Either you translate literally, in which all the poetry is lost, or you have to recreate the original, resulting in an entirely different work. Since I am able to read most of the main European languages, I will confine my remarks today mainly to European Literature. That is itself a vast task to achieve within the short time available to me.”
Alan began by explaining the history of Literature from a remote period when writing was still not discovered. The earliest kind of poetry known to us is orally recited poetry, especially early epic poetry such as Homer in Greece. This oral poetry was the means by which traditions, religious beliefs, laws and customs were transmitted from one generation to another. Passing rapidly through the literature of Greece and Rome, Alan explained how the decay and fall of slave society led to a collapse of culture, which only began to revive in the later Middle Ages with the emergence of a new bourgeois culture in the towns, particularly in Italy and the Netherlands. This was the basis of the Renaissance which anticipated the bourgeois revolutions in Holland and England.
Alan pointed to the revolutionary role played by the great English poet John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost, who also wrote numerous revolutionary pamphlets such as the areopagitica, a fierce defence of the freedom of speech and liberty of the press.
Alan explained the relationship between French Classicism and the Absolutist regime which was blown apart by the French revolution of 1789-93. This prepared the ground for the enoromous flowering of Literature and Art in 19th century France and a new school of literary realism. Alan pointed out that one of Marx’s favourite authors was the French novelist Balzac. He considered that one could learn more about French society after the revolution by reading these novels than from any history book. “Politically speaking Balzac was a conservative. But his novels held up a mirror to the French bourgeois society and mercilessly exposed all its vices,” Alan said.
Finally, comrade Woods underlined the colossal social and cultural liberation that was brought about by the October revolution in Russia. He pointed to the work of the Bolshevik poet Mayakowsky as a striking example of this. “Propaganda, of course, can never be great art. Genuine art must express the inner feelings of the artist or the poet. But in the case of great poet like Mayakaowsky, his revolutionary convictions are expressed in a very graphic way in his poetry.“ Alan then proceeded to recite one of Mayakowsky’s poems “Our March” in English and in Russian, showing the powerful effects that this great poet was able to achieve.
“The years following the October revolution were years of many cultural experiments with different schools of thought that freely contended with each other. But this flowering of Literature and Art was suffocated by the Stalinist counter revolution,” he said.
In his concluding remarks Alan emphasized that Art and Literature must be free of all external constraints. The work of the artist or poet cannot be dictated to by the state, religion or political parties or by the dictatorship of Capital. “Capitalism is profoundly hostile to Art and culture,” Alan stated. “Somebody once told the English poet Robert Graves: ‘there is no money in poetry.’ To which Graves replied: ‘no, but there is no poetry in money’.”
True artistic freedom can only be achieved through a social and cultural revolution. Only a socialist revolution can release the colossal cultural potential that is latent in society, Alan said. He appealed to everyone present – writers, journalists, poets and intellectuals to join the working class in its struggle to overthrow the present corrupt and degenerate capitalist system and create the conditions for a new society that will carry civilization and culture to new and unheard of levels.
This wonderful and profound exposition, which was unlike anything ever heard before in Pakistan literary circles was met with enormous enthusiasm by the entire audience.
A brief session of questions and answers followed, afterwards comrade Alan gave a masterly reply in which he invited everyone who agreed with the ideas he had expounded to join the Lal Salaam, the Pakistan Section of the IMT.
More than one hundred people signed the forms that were prepared by the comrades giving details of the activities of the IMT and a very large quantity of Marxist books and other literature was sold at the well stocked book stall. This event has had a big impact in intellectual circles in Pakistan. It is being widely shared on Facebook and social media where it has sparked off a new ferment of debate on the subject of Marxism and Literature. It is yet another success story of the Pakistan Marxists and the IMT.
#Pakistan - Imran Khan and the undemocratic mind-set
Khairunisa Mughal
In its quest for democracy, Pakistan has undergone a laborious political journey with military punctuating its short and occasional democratic periods with coups and long seizure of power.
The long periods of dictatorial obscurantism have indoctrinated the minds of political leaders such as Imran Khan. The development of major political parties and leaders as major democratic force has been marred by dictatorship.
Mr Khan — being one of them — has time and again has not only undermined the efforts of Pakistan’s founding fathers but also insulted the martyrdom of those who laid their lives for the restoration of democracy in the country.
Parliament is the heart of democracy: It represents the will and aspirations of masses. By ridiculing the parliament, Khan has disrespected the people it represents.
Cursing the parliament while also being part of it has exposed the double standards of the PTI chief.
Before uttering such strong and hateful words, Khan should have kept in his mind that he, along with his 31 MNAs, is part of the same institution.
The fascistic and anti-democracy mentality of the PTI Chairman is reflective of his patronage for the dictatorial regime in the past.
When the stifled democracy needed political leaders to stand for it against the autocratic tendencies of Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship, history is witness to the fact that Imran Khan was on the side of the dictator.
The role played by dictators is being repeated by Khan; dictators dissolved the assemblies, Mr Khan is trying hard to interrupt the democratic continuity by demanding early dissolution of democratically-elected assemblies. Dictators did not respect the sanctity of parliament; the words uttered by Mr Khan for the Parliament speak volumes about the respect for the supreme institution of the country in the heart of Mr Khan.
Parliament is the heart of democracy: It represents the will and aspirations of the masses. By ridiculing the parliament, Khan has disrespected the people it represents
Pakistan Peoples’ Party has always remained ahead of all other parties in fighting against dictators and establishment of democracy and same was the case in 2007 when people of Pakistan stood with Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in reviving democracy. But Mr Khan was reluctant to step up for revival of democracy by boycotting the 2008 elections. However, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was given threats. . But yet, she returned to Pakistan and sacrificed her life to restore democratic system in the country and to let Parliament achieve its supremacy. But, sadly, leaders like Mr. Imran Khan who are new to politics curse the parliament because they are unaware of the power of democracy which was rightly presented by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in her slogan, “Democracy is the best revenge”.
Human mind may forget but chronicles of history record everything and the name of political leader who was nominated as their representative by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is still fresh on the pages of history. Mr. Khan could only be said democratic if the definition of democracy is changed because his name being nominated by TTP was in no way representation of the people who lost their near and dear ones in fighting against the terrorists. Mr Khan was busy in derailing the democratic system when the sad incident of Army Public School occurred; and that very organization claimed the responsibility who had nominated Mr Khan as their representative. Democracy is focused on the welfare of people but regrettably Mr Khan’s definition seems to be different- focused on cursing the will of people.
These are merely few examples which demand PTI Chief for introspection for the wrong decisions he made in the past. He is heading the third-largest party in the National Assembly, therefore, it does not behove him to give such statements for the people-elected parliament. Imran should reflect upon the lives-lost, people suffered jails and sacrifices made in this arduous journey of attaining the supremacy of the parliament. He should at least peep into the history of undemocratic nations, which troubled the generations, destroyed hopes of young souls and created hurdles in the nations’ way towards becoming a developed and civilised country.
Thus, Imran Khan should not only take his words back, but also apologise to the nation for cursing the parliament. It is democracy which can ensure the freedom, equality, rule of law and prosperity of the country and nation as it is said “the worst democracy is better than dictatorship.”
#Pakistan #PTI #KP - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Spent millions on Imran's use of govt helicopters, documents reveal
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has spent millions of rupees on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan's use of the provincial government's helicopters, official documents revealed on Monday.
Documents obtained by Geo News from the KP administration department show that the PTI chairperson used the KP government's helicopters free of charge for a total of 74 hours to travel approximately 18,000 kilometres.
The provincial government recorded in its books a total expense of Rs 2.1 million at approximately Rs28,865 per hour for Khan's 40 trips on the two helicopters—an Mi-171 and an Ecureuil.
Similar trips using a private helicopter would have cost the PTI chairperson tens of millions of rupees, according to estimates.
Khan used the Mi-171 for 21 hours 50 minutes on 12 trips amounting to a recorded expense of Rs1,270,307.
Similarly, he used the Ecureuil helicopter 28 times for a total of 52 hours and 5 minutes, amounting to a recorded expense of Rs836,875.
Combined, Khan used both helicopters for a total of 73 hours and 55 minutes, resulting in an expense of Rs2,107,181 recorded by the provincial government.
The PTI chief, whose party governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, used the helicopters to fly to and from Bani Gala, Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat and Nathiagali, Kohat, Batagram, and Chakdara, among other places.
Speaking to Geo News, Mohammad Amin, the KP chief minister's principal adviser on aviation, said he was unsure if Imran travelled on the helicopter alone.
The PTI chairperson must have accompanied the chief minister on these trips, he said.
He added that the provincial government's administration department handled matters regarding use of the helicopters.
However, when asked, Amin estimated that use of the helicopters costs between Rs150,000 and Rs200,000 per hour—far greater than the Rs28,865 average hourly rate at which expenses were recorded in the provincial administrations books.
Going by Amin's estimates, 74 hours of using the helicopters would cost at least Rs11 million.
It was unclear in what capacity Khan used the provincial government's helicopters, as the party chairperson neither holds any position in the KP administration nor is he a member of the provincial assembly.
However, a senior KP government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervaiz Khattak is the chief executive of the province and holds the discretion of allowing any individual to use the provincial government's helicopters.
In its documents, the administration department mentioned the purpose of the flights as "official use and urgent nature of work".
اسفندیار ولی نے خیبرپختونخوا حکومت کو عاصمہ کے قاتل پکڑنے کیلئے ایک ہفتے کا الٹی میٹم دیدیا
https://jang.com.pk/print/440565-todays-print
#Pakistan - Imran part of same parliament he cursed: Asfandyar Wali
Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali while criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman on Sunday, said that Imran Khan cursed the parliament being a part of the institution.
The ANP leaders were addressing a party rally here on the death anniversary of Khan Abdulghaffar Khan and Khan Abdulwali Khan.
Party leader Ameer Haider Hoti, in his address, said true Pashtuns will be facing the opponents in the province.
“Tsunami will face Bachha Khani,” said the ANP leader.
Meanwhile, Asfandyar Wali said that when the time for elections came the religious parties dismissed the allies.
He said that if the members of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas are in the parliament then their issues can be easily resolved.
He demanded that legislation should be carried out in the FATA assembly for representation before the upcoming general elections in 2018.
Asfandyar Wali said that the country will have peace and welfare following the philosophy of Bachha Khan.
At the joint opposition rally on January 17 in Lahore, Imran had cursed the Parliament for allowing Nawaz Sharif's re-election as the party head after his disqualification.
"I give Laanat (curse) the parliament that made a criminal the president of a party," he said, in an apparent reference to ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif being elected the PML-N president.
Imran's remarks followed the repeated cursing of the Parliament from Rasheed, who also announced his resignation from the assembly.
خیبر پختونخوا کی غیرسیاسی پولیس کی غیرجانبداری پر سوالیہ نشان لگ گیا
شادی سے انکار پر قتل کی گئی طالبہ کو لکی مروت میں سپرد خاک کر دیا گیا۔ واردات میں ملوث پی ٹی آئی کے ضلعی صدر کا بھتیجا مجاہد ابتک آزاد ہے۔ جے آئی ٹی تشکیل دیدی گئی۔ خیبر پختونخوا کی غیرسیاسی پولیس کی غیرجانبداری پر سوالیہ نشان لگ گیا۔ اسمبلی میں مذمتی قرارداد جمع کرا دی گئی۔حوا کی ایک اور بیٹی معاشرتی بے حسی کی بھینٹ چڑھ گئی ہے۔ کوہاٹ میں گزشتہ روز شادی سے انکار پر قتل ہونیوالی طالبہ کی لکی مروت میں نماز جنازہ ادا کر دی گئی۔ نماز جنازہ میں لوگوں کی بڑی تعداد شریک ہوئی۔ دوسری طرف عاصمہ کے قتل کی تحقیقات کیلئے جے آئی تشکیل دے دی گئی ہے۔آئی جی پولیس نے ٹیم کو قاتلوں کو جلد گرفتار کرنے کی ہدایت کی ہے۔ وزیر اعلی خیبر پختونخوا پرویز خٹک نے میڈیا سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے قاتل کو سخت سزا دینے کا اعلان کیا۔ تحریک انصاف کے رہنما شہریار آفریدی نے کہا کہ ملزموں کو عبرتناک سزا دیں گے۔عاصمہ کے قتل پر خبیر پختونخوا اسمبلی میں مذمتی قرارداد جمع کرا دی گئی جس میں قاتلوں کی فوری گرفتاری کا مطالبہ کیا گیا۔ قرارداد میں کہا گیا ہے کہ میڈیکل کی طلبہ کو بے دردی سے قتل کیا گیا، صوبہ میں خواتین کے ساتھ پے در پے واقعات ہو رہے ہیں جنہیں روکنے کیلئے اقدامات کئے جائیں۔میڈیکل کی طالبہ عاصمہ کو گزشتہ روز گھر کے باہر فائرنگ کر کے قتل کر دیا گیا تھا۔ قتل میں ملوث پی ٹی آئی کے ضلعی صدر کا بھتیجا مجاہد پکڑا نہیں جا سکا جس سے خیبر پختونخوا پولیس کی غیرجانبداری پر سوالیہ نشان لگ گیا ہے۔ذرائع کے مطابق مرکزی ملزم مجاہد اللہ تحریک انصاف کوہاٹ کے صدر آفتاب عالم کا رشتہ دار ہے.
http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/national/29-Jan-2018/760140
http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/national/29-Jan-2018/760140
#Pakistan - Bilawal Bhutto In Davos
Bilawal Bhutto has often received flack for being inexperienced. His public speaking style, where he speaks Urdu with visible difficulty, has been criticised as unimpressive and disconnected from the masses, and his sometimes quite valid points are overlooked due to the lack of charisma.
It seems however that Bilawal is intent on showing the Pakistani public his growth as a political leader. His Trip to Davos, Switzerland, where he attended the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2018 Annual Meeting accompanied by PPP vice-president Senator Sherry Rehman, has been a success. Attending many conferences on extremism, journalism and young panellists, Bilawal Bhutto made a strong case for Pakistan, encouraging investment, and expertly refuting to uninformed criticisms of Pakistan for harbouring extremism. However, where he most impressed was during his first interview with an Indian publication, India Today, where he skilfully handled the questions of the interviewer of extremism, army and Pak-India relations.
Whereas Bhutto’s public speaking skills have been questioned before, the political leader was much polished now, speaking at ease and with confidence. Where he shone, however, was his unwavering political will in the interview, where he did not succumb to badmouthing the country or any of its institutions. His response, when asked of the military, was of strong support to the Pakistan Army, which shows a strong and united front of a country that is in it together, despite the many battles we fight internally. This united front is needed especially in regards to the consistent border violations India participates in, including the killing of 6 civilians earlier this month due to a border shooting by Indian soldiers.
Bilawal also provided a good answer to the interviewer’s exaggerated question on US hostility to Pakistan, clearing that Pak-USA relations were not as bad as India was hoping they would be. He disparaged populist leaders like Trump and Modi, and clarified that if India wanted peace, it needed to take concrete steps.
Generally, Pakistan’s visit to Davos was a small success, when compared to the giant obstacles and hostile powers we face today. Despite political and international chaos, Pakistan is still working on creating a business-friendly environment, with Prime Minister Khaqan Abbasi making a good case for Pakistan by engaging the business leaders, company leaders of telecom, automotive technology and health care sectors at WEF. Pakistani politicians did a good job by showing that despite fighting tooth and nail inside the country; in an international setting, they were all united for Pakistan.
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