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Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday that China has agreed on granting zero-rated facility to Pakistani export of agricultural products and started buying the country''s sugar which is expected to boost exports to China by an additional $ 1 billion this year. Qureshi was speaking at a joint news conference with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and chairman Board of Investment (BOI) upon his return from China.
The foreign minister said that during his talks with the Chinese authorities, he was told that they have agreed on zero-rated facility on export of Pakistani agricultural products, adding that China has already started buying sugar from the country and modalities are being worked out on other agricultural products including cotton and wheat.
"After this facility, we are expecting an additional $ 1 billion exports to China this year," Qureshi said. He further said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China next month and the two sides will hold discussions on all issues of mutual interests, including further deepening the trade and economic ties.
He said that China will hold the Belt and Road Forum on April 25, which besides heads of state and government of 36 countries, will also be attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that Pakistan will have a key role in the conference because China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.
He said that it was for the first time that he held Strategic Dialogue with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during his recent visit to Beijing, with the objective to upgrade political consultations between the two countries. He said he also briefed the Chinese leadership about the ongoing talks for restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan. In the aftermath of the Pulwama attack, Qureshi said that China has once again proved to be an ''everlasting'' friend who stood behind Pakistan like a ''rock.''
Referring the Christchurch attack, the foreign minister appreciated the response given by the government of New Zealand, particularly Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, in the wake of the terror attacks on mosques that resulted in martyrdom of 50 people, including 9 Pakistanis. He also appreciated the courage and bravery of the New Zealand national of Pakistani origin, Naeem Rashid, who tried to save fellow Muslims by laying down his life.
The foreign minister described the India''s response to the Christchurch attacks as its double standard by not mentioning Muslims as the victims and mosques as the targets. "Like rest of the world, India also condemned the incident, but without mentioning ''mosques and Muslims'' as being the target of the terrorist," he said. "This is your double standard...you [India] are desiring a membership of the OIC on the grounds that millions of Muslims are living in India, but you''re not even ready to mention the word ''Muslims'' being the victims and ''mosques'' being the targets in the Christchurch incident," Qureshi said while referring to the letter of condolence sent by Indian Prime Minister Modi to his New Zealand''s counterpart after the attack.
He said that the world should also take notice of the ''double standard'' with regard to terrorism, adding if Muslims are target, it is being underplayed to have undertaken by a mentally retarded individual, but if it is an act against others, then it is described as the well thought-out conspiracy.
He pointed out that Pakistan has been saying that terrorism has nothing to do with any religion and country. To discuss the growing Islamophobia, analyse the reasons for increasing hatred against Muslims in many European countries and chalk out a joint strategy to deal with these challenges, Qureshi said and added that Pakistan and Turkey have taken an initiative by convening an emergency meeting of OIC Executive Committee in Istanbul. He said he will leave for Istanbul on Thursday night to represent Pakistan in the meeting.
He further stated that due to the double standard, the world community is not giving any value to the Indian narrative on the post-Pulwama incidents. However, it made it clear that it does not mean that Pakistan is not taking the Pulwama incident seriously, adding that Pakistan has received a ''dossier'' from India which is being examined and it will show to the world whatever its findings would be. He recalled that Pakistan has condemned the Pulwama attack and described it as an unfortunate in which 44 Indian paramilitary troops were killed.
Referring to the acquittal of four accused in Samjhauta Express terror attack, Qureshi said that on one hand India is blaming Pakistan for the Pulwama incident without any proof while on the other its National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has acquitted all the four accused in the Samjhauta Express attack, in which 44 innocent Pakistanis were killed. "It was a shocking decision as the main accused, Swami Aseemanand, had himself confessed to his crime," he said, adding that Pakistan strongly protested on this development and gave a demarche to India.
To a question about US President Trump''s remarks about Pakistan-US ties, the foreign minister said that it is encouraging that President Trump, Zalmay Khalilzad and other senior US officials are speaking of improvement in relationship with Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan-US relations which were once on a ''point of no return'' are showing ''improvement'' and there is a ''corrective mechanism'' in place to further improve the ties. To another query, he said that during his visit to China, the stance of China on Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar was also discussed.
However, he said findings of UN Sanctions Committee are confidential and cannot be commented upon. He said there is a complete consensus on National Action Plan (NAP) and a 20-point agenda was agreed upon. He said the NAP was agreed and signed by all parliamentary leaders, adding that the opposition leaders should keep their individual interests apart when there is a larger national interest.
"Many forces are trying to isolate Pakistan internationally...efforts are being made to report Pakistan to the Sanction Committee and [bringing] the resolution against Pakistan in the UN Security Council. So, this is the collective responsibility of all political parties to play their role in national interest," he said while referring to letter of the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif and statements by others declining to attend the conference of the parliamentary parties leaders on NAP.
He further said that the government is also ready to accept the opposition''s demand to take the Parliament into confidence on the NAP. Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Razak Dawood said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and China is likely to be signed during Prime Minister Imran Khan''s upcoming visit to China at the end of next month.
He said that newly posted Finance Secretary Younus Dagha will visit China on April 2 to discuss the second phase of FTA with Chinese officials and hoped that the work will be finalised during his visit while the deal will finally be signed during the Prime Minister''s visit.
Dawood said, "The visit of Malaysian Prime Minister will open a window of opportunities to our economy as our trade and investment with the Far East will increase." He said this visit will prove the beginning of the ''Look East'' approach of the present government.
Speaking on the occasion Information Minister Fawad Chauhdry strongly condemned the statement of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, adding that Pakistan will never allow India to take action against any group or individual on its soil. "Both Bilawal and Maryam Nawaz are currently pursuing Abbu Bachao [save father] movement," he said, adding that leaders of both the parties are facing inquiries which are free of the government''s influence.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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