Pakistan’s PM Applauds China’s Unflinching Support For Pakistan

News Today:   Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reinforced that repairing relations with the US should be necessary on the agenda but not compromising the ties with Beijing. He said no other country could come close to whatever role China played in the prosperity and uplifting of Pakistan. He expressed this in a meeting with a batch of journalists on Sunday. Speaking on the recent visit to China, PM Shehbaz chaired the meeting and briefed on CPEC's progress in its second phase of development. Talking about his letter to Beijing requesting debt reprofiling, he said if China showed flexibility for at least five to seven years to pay back the financial loans, the national government would be in a safe zone to control inflation coupled with electricity prices in Pakistan.

However, the response from Beijing is ‘’No’’ with the request under consideration. The Prime minister is hopeful about China’s final response while urging strong ties with the US, never at the cost of cordial relations with China. The PM also showed reservations about the security of the Chinese in Pakistan and assured investment of all the possible resources for the well-being of the Chinese. He admitted the public woes about inflation and energy price hikes at large. The government allocated Rs 50 billion for relief in energy prices for people using up to 200 electric units. He expressed similar support for those consuming 400 electricity units. Whereas, local public opinion demands concrete practical steps above assurances and re-assurances on the government level.