Page 12 - Pakistan Link - August 21, 2020

P12 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 21, 2020
International Observers Acknowledge Rumors of Relations Souring
Economic Progress & Country on March with Saudi Arabia ‘Totally False’
Islamabad: Neutral international ob-
servers have acknowledged economic
progress made by Pakistan despite the
novel coronavirus crisis, Adviser to
the Prime Minister for Finance Abdul
Hafeez Sheikh said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at a press con-
ference alongside federal ministers
and SAPMs where a progress report of
the achievements of the PTI govern-
ment in its second year was unveiled.
Talking about the Emergency
Cash Assistance Program, under
which the government handed out
cash to lower-income families hit by
the health crisis, Sheikh said that it
was the first time that a government
had introduced a relief program to
support the masses. He said that mil-
lions of people had benefitted from
the cash program.
The government also introduced
cheap loans to assist small traders so
that they would not have to fire their
staff due to lack of funds. The govern-
ment also provided relief to traders by
paying their bills for three months, he
said.
As a result of the government’s
initiatives, the economy had grown
despite the Covid-19 crisis and the
past month saw a six per cent increase
in exports. Cement sales and exports
had also increased substantially.
Due to the government’s policies,
economic observers and organiza-
tions like Moody’s, Fitch and Bloom-
berg had improved Pakistan’s rating,
he added.
‘From diplomatic isolation to ef-
fective representation’: Foreign Min-
ister Shah Mahmood Qureshi shed
light on the initiatives taken up by
the government on the international
stage. He said that Pakistan’s foreign
policy achievements should be seen in
the context of the objectives of Paki-
stan’s “eternal enemy” India and the
objectives set by the PTI government.
India’s stated policy has been to isolate with them.
Pakistan diplomatically, he said.
Pakistan did not have a foreign
minister for a long period of time dur-
ing the past government’s tenure, due
to which the country’s stance could
not be conveyed to the world. The PTI
government made efforts to end its
“diplomatic isolation” by reaching out
to friendly countries and improving
ties with the international community.
“A dramatic shift can be seen
from diplomatic isolation to effec-
tive representation,” he said. He also
pointed out that more than one coun-
try in the region, including China,
Nepal and Bangladesh, were now un-
happy with New Delhi’s policies.
He said that Prime Minister
Imran Khan “internationalized” the
Kashmir issue and today the world is
talking about the violation of rights
of the residents of occupied Kashmir
by the Indian forces. He said that the
Kashmir issue is as old as Pakistan,
but was “intentionally kept on the
back burner” in the past.
The premier took up several im-
portant issues, including increasing
Islamophobia and Afghan peace pro-
cess, Qureshi said.
He said that two years ago, US
had declared Pakistan as “part of the
problem”. However, due to Pakistan’s
role in the Afghan peace process,
“there was a narrative shift from part
of the problem to part of the solution,”
the foreign minister said.
Pakistan also made efforts to
develop an “economic partnership”
with African countries, that have a
population of 1.3 billion people, and
the Engage Africa Initiative has been
launched to increase trade and invest-
ment in the continent.
To cope with the financial set-
back faced by developing countries
due to the Covid-19 health crisis,
Prime Minister Imran asked devel-
oped countries and financial bodies to
provide debt relief. The initiative not
only benefitted Pakistan but all devel-
oping countries, he said.
Speaking about other initiatives
taken by the Ministry of Foreign Af-
fairs, Qureshi revealed that an app
had been introduced through which
ambassadors and Foreign Office of-
ficials across the world could contact
the minister without having to deal
with bureaucratic red tape.
‘Unprecedented challenges’: Dis-
cussing the “unprecedented” chal-
lenges posed by the novel coronavirus
to Pakistan’s economy and the health
sector, Planning Minister Asad Umar
explained how the government dealt
“Covid is the biggest challenge
not only for Pakistan but the entire
world in the last century,” he said. “A
lot of pressure built on the health sec- qualifications exceed mine,” he said. in the country was the decision to Cansino Biocompany and A. J. M Phar-
tors and the economy. It was a unique
challenge after the Spanish flu. The
disruption caused by it in health and
economic sectors is unprecedented.”
Umar said that the world’s lead-
ing economies were reeling under the
impact of the novel coronavirus. But
the world had acknowledged Paki-
stan’s success against the pandemic,
he added.
“Not only people in Pakistan but
elsewhere in the world too now say
that Pakistan is among those coun-
PAKISTAN
tries who can be said to have tackled “Our relations are very good. We are constantly in touch,” says PM Imran Khan
the pandemic successfully,” the plan-
ning minister said. Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran are constantly in touch.”
He said that philanthropist Bill Khan played down differences with Army Chief Gen Bajwa travelled to
Gates while comparing the corona- longtime ally Saudi Arabia as Army Saudi Arabia on Monday for a one-day
virus situation in India and Pakistan, Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa visited visit that was “primarily military-affairs
had said that the latter had dealt with Riyadh, saying the two countries had no oriented”, the army said.
the pandemic in a comparatively bet- differences. “On the Kashmir issue, there is a
ter manner. Gen Bajwa’s current visit is tak- view that OIC should have stepped for-
Earlier this month, the UN Gen- ing place at an important juncture. The ward,” Prime Minister Imran said.
eral Assembly president-elect Volkan United Arab Emirates had last week “Saudi has its own foreign policy.
Bozkir also said in his meeting with reached an agreement with Israel and We shouldn’t think that because we
the foreign minister that the world the United States to normalize ties with want something Saudi will do just that,”
can learn from Pakistan, Umar said the Jewish state. Reportedly more Arab he added.
and added that The Wall Street Jour- countries would be joining the Emiratis
nal, which doesn’t report “too posi- in normalizing ties with Israel. Pakistan Green-
tively” on Pakistan acknowledged that Lights Phase III
the country was a bright spot in the Moreover, the army chief ’s visit is Trials for Covid
world when it comes to coronavirus. being viewed in the context of Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s Vaccine
The reason behind Pakistan’s criticism of the Saudi Arabia-dominated
“successful” response to the novel Organization of Islamic Cooperation
coronavirus, through which the gov- (OIC) for not convening the meeting
ernment not only curbed the spread of its Council of Foreign Ministers on
of the disease but also saved the coun- Kashmir. However, ISPR Director Gen- Islamabad: The Ministry of National
try’s economy from collapsing, was eral Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar earlier said Health Services Regulation and Coor-
because the prime minister prioritized the visit had been planned long before dination has received formal approval
the welfare of the people, the planning the controversy erupted. from the Drug Regulatory Authority of
minister insisted. Gen Bajwa’s trip, analysts say, Pakistan (DRAP) for Phase III clinical
“All the steps taken by Imran would also try to overcome the minor trials of the corona vaccine.
Khan reflect [his focus on the weak- hiccup in ties caused by the foreign min- According to a statement of the
est sections]. So when all the political ister’s statement. NIH, the medical facility has obtained
leaders were saying we should lock “The rumors that our relations “the formal approval from DRAP for
down the country [...] they did not with Saudi Arabia have soured are total- Phase III Clinical Trial of Recombinant
think how it would impact the poor. ly false,” the premier said in an interview Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Adenovirus
“I think the main reason was with Dunya News on Tuesday night. Type 5 vector (Ad5-nCoV) developed
that Imran Khan thought about these “Our relations are very good. We by CanSinoBio and Beijing Institute of
(lower income) people from the start. Biotechnology China [BIB]”.
We took quick and timely decisions brought together all political players on “This will be the first ever phase
and generated employment for peo- one forum to deal with the Covid-19 III clinical trial for any vaccine in Paki-
ple. We started an unprecedented pro- pandemic. stan.”
gram to help people. Sania Nishtar did “Yes, he is not ready to grant NRO The vaccine, developed by the
a commendable job. [just] to make people come on the Cansino Biologists and Beijing Institute
“As finance adviser, Dr Hafeez same page as him. [But] the way of Biotechnology China, has been ap-
Shaikh did not once say anything Imran Khan worked together with proved for clinical trials of the corona-
about how the funds [being allocated] all the institutions in the pandemic virus vaccine Phase 3.
to help people could impact the bud- crisis is unprecedented.” This will be the first phase 3 clini-
get. He was also successful in control- Minister for Industries Ham- cal trial of any vaccine in Pakistan.
ling fiscal deficit.” mad Azhar — who had assumed According to a spokesman for the
Umar also addressed the criti- charge in April this year — also National Institutes of Health, this is a
cism levelled by the opposition on the highlighted the steps taken by his multi-country, multi-center clinical trial
government. ministry over the past few months that Cansino Bio has already launched
“[Our critics] have started using to help businesses cope with the in China, Russia, Chile, Argentina and
the word ‘incompetent’. Shah Mah- impact of the pandemic. will soon launch in Saudi Arabia.
mood Qureshi [is qualified] from He said that Pakistan adopted The Principal Investigator of
Cambridge, Hammad Azhar from a “different route” to deal with the Multi-Center Clinical Trials in Pakistan
Lincoln’s Inn, Dr Hafeez Shaikh from health crisis and ensured that sup- is Major General Amir Ikram, Execu-
Harvard are on this team. I don’t know ply chains were not affected despite tive Director, NIH, Islamabad.
where Sania Nishtar received her edu- lockdowns in the country. The rea- The study is a tripartite activity
cation from but I do know that her son there was no shortage of goods among the National Institutes of Health,
Critics also claim that the prime reopen essential industries, Azhar ma. It will be conducted at renowned
minister is unable to work with others explained. medical research centers of the country
and is a “solo player”, Umar said, add- SAPM on Poverty Alleviation including Aga Khan Medical Univer-
ing that the criticism was unfounded. Sania Nishtar spoke about the gov- sity Karachi, Indus Hospital Karachi,
He said that an example of PM Imran’s ernment’s Ehsaas program, which Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital
willingness to work with everyone she said was receiving praise inter- Lahore, Shifa International Hospital Is-
can be seen in the way the premier nationally. lamabad and UHS Lahore.
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