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Today's Paper | May 05, 2024

Published 07 Nov, 2017 06:40pm

No change in China's policy towards Pakistan: Khawaja Asif

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif informed the Senate on Tuesday that China's stance regarding Pakistan has not changed, and that the situation on the foreign policy front was not as alarming as it was being portrayed.

Asif was giving a policy statement on an adjournment motion in the Senate regarding the apparent change in China's policy towards Pakistan in light of the 9th BRICS summit declaration in September.

The foreign minister said that all allies of Pakistan — including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — were standing by it just as before.

"In fact, Pakistan's diplomatic position has improved after Trump's speech," he claimed.

"There has been no change in China's policy. It is standing by Pakistan with increased alacrity," Asif maintained.

The foreign minister claimed that the Heart of Asia conference declaration, which Pakistan signed in August, had a much stronger stance against terrorist organisations than the BRICS declaration.

The terrorist organisations named in the BRICS declaration had already been named in the Heart of Asia conference, he said, adding that the declaration was misquoted following US President Donald Trump's policy statement on South Asia.

He clarified that Pakistan's policy regarding banned organisation was in accordance with the policy of United Nations. A ban was imposed on proscribed organisations to bar them from collecting hides on Eidul Azha, it was also done in abidance with the UN policy, the minister said.

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