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    Editorial: Missing the Quaid-e-Azam!

    Written by: Editor: Dr. Dushka H. Saiyid
    Posted on: September 11, 2022 |

    The Quaid astutely played his cards against the Congress and the British imperialists, carving out a homeland for the Muslims of India. It was conceived as a state where they could develop into a prosperous nation, with freedom to practice their culture and way of life, an inspiration and a role model for the rest of the Muslim world.

    Let there be no ambiguity about his position and relations with the more obscurantist sections of our community. As far back as 1929, when he supported the Sarda Act against Child Marriage, the conservative sections of Muslims opposed him. He told them to go and elect someone else in his place, because he was not going to pander to their jihalat/gnorance. In 1937, when he supported the Shariat Act, which ensured that women got their share of property as given in Islam, he was opposed by the landed gentry, who preferred giving their daughters dowry rather than dividing their land.

    For purposes of political expediency, Pakistan has supported and cultivated the obscurantist sections of our society. This has been evident in various unsavory episodes of our recent history when obscurantist forces were given pre-eminence both in domestic and in foreign policy; the flawed notion of ‘strategic depth’ in Afghanistan being a prime example. Not surprisingly, now there are signs of a slow resurgence of terrorism in parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province (KPK), with them audaciously demanding that our FATA, which was integrated into KPK, revert to its old status.

    Such self-defeating policies have only weakened our mainstream political parties and a pluralist functioning democracy. Increasingly our curriculum has become unscientific and filled with learning by rote. Since Ayub Khan’s fall in 1968, no Pakistani government has been able to have a population policy or focus on reproductive health. As Dr Zeba Sathar points out in her well-argued article in the daily Dawn, Culpable for Injustice, that the areas “most adversely affected by the floods are the ones with the highest fertility”! While Bangladesh, fast emerging as a model of economic growth in South Asia, has successfully reduced its population growth rate to 1%, India to less than 1%, ours is still 2% per annum.

    With homes of 33 million washed away in floods, it is just not good enough to keep complaining that we have only contributed 1% to the emissions bringing about Climate Change. Our policy-makers, both civilian and military, have to take responsibility for the future of our people. Their constant power struggles and a complete flouting of all fundamental rights, is becoming increasingly unacceptable.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021