China’s firm assurance

At a time when Pakistan has suffered the indignity of violation of its sovereignty at the hands of the superpower and continues to receive open threats of further such violations, China alone has dared to stand by it like a true friend, guaranteeing respect for its sovereignty, integrity and independence. It has vowed to take Pak-China strategic relations to an all-time high. It would do well to recall here that since Operation Geronimo on May 2 particularly, Islamabad is being constantly subjected to various forms of pressure tactics. The Obama Administration, the US lawmakers, think-tanks, media and its allies have all joined hands to orchestrate uncalled-for, harassing criticism against it, accusing it either of deliberately harbouring terrorists or rank incompetence in detecting their hideouts. Projecting Pakistan as aiding those who kill the US troops in Afghanistan, it is being threatened with suspension of aid that, in reality, is more in rhetoric than delivery.
The joint statement issued at the conclusion of Prime Minister Gilani’s four-day visit to China on Friday underscores the Chinese appreciation of the key role Pakistan has played in curbing the forces of militancy and promoting peace in the region and, at the same time, shows an understanding of the limits and compulsions of our core national interests in fighting the menace. As a right response to the situation, both countries pledged to jointly fight these forces under bilateral and multilateral framework.