Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi, one of the very few federal ministers who rarely uses non-parliamentary language and yet succinctly convey their reservations to points raised by the opposition, a man known as a good communicator of government policies stated on the floor of the Upper House that there were no strings attached and the 6 billion dollar Saudi package had nothing to do with the Yemen conflict. The Foreign Minister stated that “we have received an unconditional package from Saudi Arabia… and let me make it clear that there is no such commitment like sending troops to Yemen.” Qureshi added that there has been a ‘slight shift’ in the Saudi position and that the Iranian foreign minister during his visit to Islamabad had informed Pakistan that Iran would have no objection over Pakistan’s role as a mediator. Critics are not convinced that Saudi Arabia or the Iranian government would now accept a deal brokered by Pakistan which the two protagonists had categorically rejected when Nawaz Sharif and the then Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif visited the two capitals after the National Assembly passed a resolution in April 2015 that stipulated that “Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis.”
Foreign Minister Qureshi also stated that Imran Khan’s visit to China was the most successful visit ever. While the Memoranda of Understanding signed are not binding agreements yet there is evidence to suggest that China may have indicated its commitment to a package that for the first time ever includes: (i) grant and concessional loan assistance for balance of payment (BoP) support, a first in the two countries’ bilateral relationship as previously Pakistani administrations relied on the West, particularly the US, and multilaterals to provide such assistance; and (ii) doubling of our exports to China which maybe a start but must not be taken as an end given the 1.2 billion dollar Pakistani exports to China today. One would hope that the government persists in seeking a package through a free trade agreement similar to what is offered to ASEAN countries as it would pave the way for future, instead of immediate, trade relations which is what governments must focus on. Be that as it may, this assistance is not going to be forthcoming without the Khan administration presenting a blueprint, or explicit details, about its reform agenda. China, unlike Saudi Arabia, with exposure to developing countries and multilaterals, is not likely to throw good money after bad or in other words, it would seek a time- bound action plan that it is convinced would enable Pakistan to not only meet its debt obligations, present and future, but also be able to get out of the current economic impasse.
However, in this case too while China has proved to be an all-weather friend to Pakistan, yet recent statements by US State Department officials that postdated the warning by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the US would oppose a bailout package by the International Monetary Fund if it is used to pay back Chinese loans and the ongoing US-China trade war may have been contributory factors.
Qureshi during his second stint as the country’s foreign minister as well as having previously served as the finance minister of the biggest province, Punjab, tackled the media as well as members of the opposition in an appropriate manner though he no doubt is fully aware that there is no such thing as a free lunch; as are members of the media and the Opposition hence his exhortation during a recent press conference with Finance Minister Umar, advising caution to the media saying that not everything needs to be highlighted as it may not serve the interests of the country.
