Foreign Policy of Nawaz strongly links Pakistan with Central Asia
Islamabad, Pakistan: “The Foreign Policy of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is bearing fruits and today Pakistan is strongly linked with Central Asia.
The strategy of government to get maximum energy resources is working well and visit of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Malikgulyyewic Berdimuhamedov to Islamabad started on March 16 testified that Central Asian states are also giving Pakistan top priority in their relationship. The President of Tajikistan had already visited Islamabad in past and now the visit of Gurbanguly is enough to send a message to all that Pakistan is now strongly linked with Central Asia.
The arrival of Gurbanguly was followed by a series of important events including one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, delegation level talks between Pak-Turkmen leadership, agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signing ceremony, a joint press conference and a meeting between President Berdimuhamedov and his Pakistani Counterpart Mamnoon Hussain among others.
Central Asia is social and historically a part of subcontinent and Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif always gives a priority to Central Asian republics. His last visit to Tashkent was a great success and Uzbek newspapers called Prime Minister Nawaz “a guest who takes away our hearts”. This Uzbek phrase indicates the respect and love of Uzbek people for PM Nawaz Sharif.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is due to visit Tajikistan in May to inaugurate CASA1000 project and in will visit Tashkent in last week of June to attend SCO Summit”.
These were observations of participants during a penal discussion held on Wednesday in popular PTV Current Affairs show “Khabar Kay Sath Sath” hosted and anchored by Naheed Chaudhary. Participants of discussion included senior journalists Tariq Mehmood Chaudhary, Rana Qaisar and Agha Iqrar Haroon.
Participants discussed why Central Asia was important for Pakistan and what Central Asian republics could get from Pakistan. They were of the opinion that Central Asia is rich in minerals and energy resources but they are landlocked and Pakistan can be a path of their access to Middle East as well as Indian markets via Gwadar Port.
Participants expressed their satisfaction over constantly growing relations of Pakistan with central Asia under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and called his strategy a great success.
They were of the view that Central Asia can be a gateway to Eastern Europe for Pakistan and relations of Pakistan will become further closer in future because Pakistan will become full members of SCO that has a large number of central Asian states as Permanent members. Uzbekistan is hosting Tashkent Summit and is also holding Presidency of SCO for this year therefore Pakistan and Uzbekistan are closely working and enhancing bilateral relationships.