Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday said that the nexus of India-Israel-US would jeopardise regional peace and development.

He said that this nexus makes it clear that the US is making New Delhi a “new policeman of this region” as the West has finally realised that the people of Asia would shape the destiny of their own region by taking a lead in controlling its own resources.

The Senate chairman expressed these views while addressing a ceremony held in connection with the initiation of Chinese language classes and the launching of a report on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, by the name of Facts vs Fiction.

He said that Pakistan and China have a history of friendship which was built by late prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mao Tse Tung. Both have stood side by side each other and saw the vicissitudes of time. He said that this historic friendship has remained beneficial for both in economic and strategic fields and initiatives like CPEC and One Belt One Road projects have added further impetus to bilateral relations between the two sides.

Mian Raza Rabbani said that Asia was rising and so Asians needed to be the masters of their own destiny by controlling their own resources and harness the tremendous economic potential of a united Asia.

“The era of looking towards West is coming to an end and Western imperialism has begun to realise that it can no longer exploit the cheap labour and other resources of Asia,” he remarked. He said that the West would resist the development process through destabilisation and regime change in Asia and Middle East. The latest US assessment showed China and Russia as greater potential threats.

He termed the initiation of Chinese language classes a positive step as it would give the students an orientation of the language and make communication between people of both the countries easier. However, he said that both Chinese and Pakistani cultures were different from each other and had their own origins and importance. He said that Pakistani culture emanates from Indus valley civilisation and the people of China had ancient history and culture. He, however, cautioned that mistakes of the past should not be repeated and cultural identities should not be intermingled. He also emphasised the need for promotion of regional languages as they played a key role in national unity.

Speaking on the occasion, Senate’s Committee on Defense Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that Pakistan enjoyed a historic, unique, unprecedented and strategic relationship with China which despite of its ups and downs, remained resilient due to a communality of views on issues and mutuality of interests. He termed the One Belt One Road Initiative as an important developmental project of the 21st century spreading over 70 countries of Asia, Africa and Europe. He said that CPEC was moving at very fast pace.

“New elements have been made part of CPEC which include agriculture, poverty alleviation, culture and people to people linkages,” Mushahid Hussain Sayed said. He said that currently, thousands of students were studying in China and there was need to further explore new vistas of bilateral cooperation.

The balance of power, he said, was being transferred from the West to the East. He expressed the hope that the Chinese envoy would further contribute towards consolidating Pakistan and China friendship.

The ceremony was attended largely by parliamentarians, envoys, journalists and people belonging to different walks of life.

Published in Daily Times, February  20th  2018.