#Pakistan - A colossal foreign policy failure

 

  • Pakistan’s relations with Gulf  

Pakistan has a history of decades of warm relations with the Gulf countries which has benefitted both sides. The agreement about the return of Gwadar to Pakistan from Oman was a landmark event under Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon. Pakistan provided manpower that played a significant role in the massive development of the Gulf region’s infrastructure, trained its military personnel and helped set up airlines in the Gulf. The Gulf provided jobs to tens of thousands of Pakistanis whose remittances became an important source of the much needed foreign exchange to Pakistan. Despite occasional problems, the relations never lost their warmth.

Relations with Saudi Arabia suffered a strain earlier this year when FM Qureshi, in an unusually sharp warning, asked Saudi Arabia-led OIC to stop dilly-dallying on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Kashmir. Pakistan was subsequently required to pay back $1 billion out of a $3 billion Saudi loan after the kingdom reportedly decided to reduce its financial support. Meanwhile, the UAE suspended issuance of work or employment visas to Pakistan. Had the ban been related to Covid-19, India and not Pakistan would have faced the restriction. There must have been some other reason that the government is reluctant to reveal.

Initially the PTI government flatly denied the suspension of visas with SAPM Zulfikar Bukhari asserting that the UAE authorities had maintained there was no ban on the export of Pakistani workforce. This was a patent untruth. Despite staying in Dubai for two days, FM Qureshi failed in his mission to persuade Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, to lift the ban.

Since the ban that came into effect on Nov 18, one recruitment agency in Rawalpindi alone is reported to have lost 3,000 jobs that have now been avowedly diverted to India. That a country which is home to 1.2m Pakistanis is arbitrarily taking such a harsh position on the entry of Pakistani citizens is deeply troubling and can have serious implications for long-term ties.

The government should come upfront about the reasons behind the UAE’s decision instead of remaining in a state of denial over an issue that can have serious consequences for tens of thousands of Pakistanis. It would hurt Pakistan a lot if the ban was to continue.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/12/21/a-colossal-foreign-policy-failure/

Imran Khan Should Resign If He Cannot Provide Solutions To People's Problems, Says Bilawal Bhutto

Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lashed out at the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government for being unaware of ground realities, while calling for the premier to resign if he cannot provide solutions to the issues faced by the public.

"I think the government is not aware of ground realities. The current government does not realise the kind of issues the people are facing [and] their hatred for a system which deprives them of meals," Bilawal said while speaking to the media in Lahore, reported Dawn.
Cornering Khan, the opposition leader said that the 'puppet' premier could not give an answer as to what he was doing for the public, which was 'enough evidence' for him to resign.
"If he does not have solutions for addressing the people's issues, he should resign. We have solutions for providing relief to the people," he asserted.
Speaking about the long march planned for next year by the opposition's 11-party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Bilawal said that Khan would not be able to 'save himself' once the long march begins, Dawn reported.
Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had stated that the current Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had nothing to show for its two years in power, according to Dawn.
"Did they manage to eliminate corruption? For two-and-a-half years they have used national institutions to exact political revenge under the guise of accountability," she had told reporters in Islamabad.
Aurangzeb further highlighted that inflation had risen in the country and the economy was not stabilised, and added that despite the government's claim of not taking any loans, it had taken out loans worth billions in an effort to "hide its own theft".
Earlier this month, the PDM demanded the Imran Khan-led government to quit by January 31 or face intensified movements by opposition parties such as the long march to Islamabad.
According to a Geo News report, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz in her address at Minar-i-Pakistan last week urged supporters to answer the call for a march to Islamabad.
The next general elections in Pakistan are scheduled for 2023. 

http://www.businessworld.in/article/Imran-Khan-should-resign-if-he-cannot-provide-solutions-to-people-s-problems-says-Bilawal-Bhutto/21-12-2020-356452/

#Pakistan #PPP - Time for dialogue is over and now time is for long march

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reiterated his stance that the time for dialogue is over and now there will be a long march towards Islamabad to get the resignation of puppet prime minister Imran Khan.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said this while talking to the media in Lahore on Monday evening after condoling with the family of PPP leader Dilawar Butt who passed away a few days ago. He paid rich tributes to Dilawar Butt and said that he was a loyal and committed PPP worker. He said that Dilawar Butt taught his family the loyalty with which he served the PPP, the people of Lahore and the democracy.
Chairman PPP said that Imran Khan is ignorant of the ground realities and does not have any solution of the problems the people are faced with. He said that the PPP knows how to provide relief to the poor people of Pakistan in difficult times. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PPP government provided relief to the people in 2008-2013 when the world economy was in deep recession. The PPP strengthened the agriculture of the country so that a prosperous grower can grow crops for the economy. Now this selected government is importing crops from abroad instead of giving the appropriate price to the growers for their crops thus destroying the agriculture of the country.
Responding to questions by the journalists, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PDM will decide when to start the long march towards Islamabad to get the resignation of the puppet prime minister Imran Khan. We will take the poor people, the unemployed, the students, the growers and all the people who are being troubled by this selected government to Islamabad with us. He said that dialogue will be held after this puppet prime minister is gone. When we will reach Islamabad this puppet will leave the government, he said.
On the subject of secret ballot in the senate elections, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that on secret ballot we will follow the constitution. The people and their representatives have the right to secret ballot. This right of secrecy of vote is protected by the secret ballots and no one can victimise anyone after voting. The members have the right to use their right to vote without any fear. This is their constitutional right to keep their votes secret. Any change in this procedure could only be brought by the change in the constitution. Imran and his coterie have no knowledge of constitution but the courts are aware of constitutions. He said that he enjoys when government feels pain by someone eating pizza. The pizza which should be discussed is Papa John’s pizza that the owner of dozens of franchises is neither on ECL nor in prison.
Chairman Bilawal said that his meeting with Shahbaz Sharif was in the presence of other people including police. He also said that the PDM collectively decides issues and chalk out strategies and we have not decided when to use resignation option. Imran Khan ran away from debate in the parliament and refused to have a debate in the media. Imran Khan has admitted his defeat and has said that he will think about resigning, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/24191/