Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that his country’s allies expect Pakistan to engage them in mutually profitable ventures rather than going to them with a ‘begging bowl’.
Shehbaz Sharif was addressing a gathering of military officers in Balochistan's Quetta when he pointed to Pakistan’s ‘improved ties’ with China, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Turkey, NDTV reported.
The remarks come in the wake of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) allotting a fresh $2.3 billion loan to Pakistan which India opposed, citing the possibility of Pakistan financing state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
Caught in deep economic crisis, Pakistan has received 25 bailout packages from IMF since 1958.
Optimistic about Pakistan’s ties with allies, the Pakistan Prime Minister said: ‘China is the most time-tested friend of Pakistan. Saudi Arabia is one of the most reliable and trustworthy friends of Pakistan, and so are others - Turkey, Qatar and the UAE.’
Shehbaz Sharif however made it clear that these allies expect Pakistan to engage them in ‘trade, commerce, innovation, research and development, education and health, investments, and profitable ventures mutually. They no longer expect us to go there with a begging bowl’.
Pointing to the country’s potential for growth, he said Pakistan is blessed with natural and human resources, adding ‘We must make full use of them and deploy them for these very profitable ventures’.
Turkey and Azerbaijan came out supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, which saw India attacking some of the key places in the country.
Earlier this week, Shehbaz Sharif told a gathering in Azerbaijan that India’s preemptive strike on Pakistan’s defence airfields foiled its plan to attack India.
Admitting that India’s attack caused damage in his country, he further said: ‘On the night of May 9-10, we decided to respond in a measured fashion to Indian aggression. Our armed forces were prepared to act at 4.30 in the morning after Fajr prayers to teach a lesson. But before that hour even arrived, India once again launched a missile attack using BrahMos, and hit various provinces of Pakistan, including the airport in Rawalpindi.’