Ties seen solid as Pakistan gets new PM

Photo taken on April 11, 2022 shows the National Assembly building where Shahbaz Sharif is elected as Pakistan's new prime minister, in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. [Photo/Xinhua]

Relations with China won't be affected by the political change, experts say

With the election of a new prime minister in Pakistan late on Monday, analysts expect the strategic all-weather friendship with China to continue benefiting the people and furthering the country's development. But they note that Shahbaz Sharif will need to ease the political divide in Pakistan and find ways to stimulate economic growth.

Although members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party boycotted Monday's parliamentary session held to elect the next government leader, opposition groups found common ground to unite around Sharif as their pick for the post.

Sharif had vied for the prime minister's post with former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was put forward by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of ousted prime minister Imran Khan. Qureshi withdrew his candidacy for the position shortly before the vote began.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday that China would unswervingly pursue a friendly policy to Pakistan no matter how the political situation in Pakistan may evolve.

At a regular news briefing, Zhao said that he believed the change in Pakistan's political situation would not affect the overall progress of China-Pakistan relations.

Pakistan's foreign policy will largely continue in terms of engagement with the entire international community, including with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship program between the two countries, according to Amina Khan, director of the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

Wang Shida, deputy director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that regardless of who is in charge of the government in Pakistan, the all-weather strategic relationship and collaboration between Pakistan and China will hardly be affected.

The nations' friendship goes back a long time and has taken root in traditions, he said. "We have a high degree of trust and support for each other."

Amina Khan noted there will likely be "efforts on the part of the new government to salvage the relationship with the West", and moves to improve relations with India and Afghanistan could also be "on the cards".

Imran Khan and some ministers of his government have accused the United States of seeking to topple him, citing evidence in recent public addresses. Also, in early March, he resisted pressure from European Union envoys in Pakistan to condemn Russia, Geo News reported.

"Pakistani politics will remain pretty eventful," said Amina Khan. She noted it was unprecedented that thousands of people of all ages took to the streets on Sunday in support of Khan, who was unseated by a parliamentary no-confidence vote early on Sunday morning.

Challenges ahead

Muhammad Abdul Basit, a Pakistan-based analyst focusing on international relations and sociopolitical issues, agrees that the new government is bound to face severe challenges. "It would become challenging for the new administration to balance the relations" with some countries, he said.

The analyst said that terrorist organizations "have become more active in Pakistan" and are still causing trouble in neighboring Afghanistan, presenting security challenges for the country.

Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies in Pakistan, said the political crisis has seriously harmed Pakistan's economy. On Thursday, the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 250 basis points, the biggest hike in more than 25 years, as Pakistan's currency hit record lows. The economy has also suffered from rising inflation and a sharp decline in foreign reserves partly due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The incoming government faces possible elections soon, though general elections are supposed to be held in 2023, Gul said.