Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar interview: ‘China-Pakistan economic corridor is our lifeline… going ahead with it’

Edited excerpts:

What are the key takeaways for Pakistan?

I think, first of all, hosting this SCO summit was a big honour for us, and we’ve tried to make the best arrangements possible. Islamabad is a very beautiful city surrounded by the Margalla hills…I think our guests, who have come from all over the world, will carry a good and positive image of Pakistan. So, a soft, good image of Pakistan is the first takeaway, and with regard to counter terrorism, development, cultural exchanges, I think the regional issues have been discussed at length, so, I believe that as a key player in the region, we’ll be able to play our role.

How do you view External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan — the first visit after almost 9 years?

Our relations are based on reciprocity. I think we welcome all the guests from the SCO member states. This is a multilateral forum. The SCO has its own protocols, and the SCO has its own format. So I think we welcome the Indian Foreign minister, he was at the cultural event last night. And the Prime Minister welcomed him there, as he welcomed all the guests as well. This morning, he received all his guests. So I think with regard to regional issues, this will go a long way. This SCO has been well-attended by all our member states. I think it’s positive in that way with regard to multilateral issues.

Minister Jaishankar said that “if trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate, if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address”. How do you respond to that?

I think, as I said before, our relations are based on reciprocity, and it’s a long debate. But I think, since this is a multilateral forum, issues with regard to multilateral issues should be discussed.

He also raised the issue of connectivity and the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty, which is an oblique reference to the China-Pakistan economic corridor. How do you respond to that?

The China-Pakistan economic corridor is our lifeline. And it’s been a game-changer in this region. And even now, the CPEC Phase 2, which is more of a business-to-business model, we’re going ahead with that. And Pakistan really believes in this cause, and our friendship with China has been a time-tested, all-weather friendship. CPEC phase 2 is going on successfully, the Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier jointly inaugurated the Gwadar international airport. So I think CPEC means a great deal to us.

Does minister Jaishankar’s visit lead to any bilateral interaction?

As I said, it’s all about reciprocity. Let’s see how this multilateral forum goes, and maybe at a later stage, we can discuss this.