F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that the present government after coming to power had taken initiatives which resulted in many achievements on foreign policy front.
Delivering his speech on the occasion of launching ceremony of the report on national security and foreign policy, he said that foreign policy was top priority of the present dispensation. “We are a responsible nuclear country and our importance in the world cannot be denied,” he said, adding Pakistan believed in peace not war.
The minister said Pakistan was recently elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council with 182 votes which was a demonstration of its successful foreign policy. “We have trade relations with Iran, and the late Iranian President’s visit to Pakistan was also successful”, he maintained. He said earlier a high-level Saudi delegation also visited Pakistan tapping investment potential.
Tarar said that 68 per cent of Pakistan’s population comprised youth and focus on technical training was topmost priority of the government. He said recently Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made a historic visit to China with renewed determination. The minister remarked that Pakistan was a huge market in the field of information technology, adding that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was being upgraded.
He said that Huawei which had set up two Safe City projects in Pakistan, had offered to provide free of cost training to 200,000 Pakistani Information technology professionals per year. The minister said that the government’s priority was also economic security, adding “Thanks to government initiatives, the economy is on the path of recovery. Foreign exchange reserves are improving and the rupee is stabilizing.The rate of inflation has decreased significantly in the country.”
He said that the Special Investment Facilitation Council had played an important role in that regard. Tarar said that the slogan of the present government was aid not trade. “In the past we heard about cricket and agriculture diplomacy”, he said, adding that the foreign policy initiatives of the present government had ended the isolation of Pakistan.
The minster said after the conflict between Iran and Israel, the Iranian President came to Pakistan. He said in the geopolitical situation, Iran was also Pakistan’s partner, adding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif participated in the funeral prayer of the Iranian President. The minister said a high-level Saudi delegation also visited Pakistan and signed several agreements for investment in Pakistan.
The purpose of the Prime Minister’s visit to China was the launch of the second phase of CPEC, he said, adding training of 200,000 youth in the IT sector by Huawei was a big achievement. The two countries were moving towards an upgraded version of CPEC, he added. About the Bisham incident, he said that a thorough investigation of the incident had been carried out. The minister said after the incident, Chinese engineers and workers were assured of security.
“Our priority is to ensure security as well as economic security,” he said and added that during past two months, the government had taken priority measures regarding security and foreign policy. The minister said that Pakistan wanted good relations with its all neighbours and regional allies. He said that Pakistan contributed less than 2 per cent of carbon emissions but it had to suffer from impacts of climate change badly. The minister said that during floods in Pakistan, the United Nations Secretary General visited Pakistan.
He said Pakistan was suffering from the impacts of climate change and it was the responsibility of those countries which were contributing to carbon emissions resulting in climate change to assist Pakistan in countering its impacts. The minister said that it was the government’s job to run businesses. He said that 120 businessmen accompanied the PM during China visit. Tarar said that Pakistan could provide opportunities to Chinese investors with cheaper cost of production.
