Amidst ongoing negotiations to form a government after the inconclusive February 8th elections, China has urged Pakistan's political parties to prioritise national stability.
This call comes at a time when the country grapples with a fractured mandate and allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.
Over 10 days after the voting, there was still no clarity on which party would form the government at the Centre.
The elections delivered no clear winner, with Imran Khan's PTI falling short of a majority and numerous allegations of rigging marring the results.
This has led to protracted coalition talks, further delaying the formation of a new government.
As a key ally and major investor in Pakistan, China expressed its concern about the prolonged political uncertainty.
Beijing emphasised the importance of "political solidarity and social stability" for fostering development and ensuring a smooth transition of power.
Though independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the maximum number of seats in Parliament, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have announced that they will form a coalition government after the elections resulted in a hung Parliament.
Addressing a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, “We noted that general elections in Pakistan were held in a generally steady and smooth manner, and we offer our congratulations.”
“As a close and friendly neighbour, China fully respects the choices of Pakistani people and sincerely hopes that relevant parties of Pakistan will work together to uphold political solidarity and social stability after the elections,” she said.
Asked whether China, Pakistan’s all-weather ally, is concerned about the political instability in Pakistan as the parties there struggled to form the government, Mao reiterated, “We believe the relevant parties in Pakistan can stick to solidarity and work together to solve relevant issues.”
The political instability in Pakistan remained a cause of concern for China, which is investing heavily in the strategic USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) overriding India’s objections as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Beijing is also bankrolling Pakistan, which is in the throes of an economic crisis, to maintain the balance of payments with periodic loans to maintain the requisite forex reserves.
Mao said China and Pakistan are all-weather-strategic-cooperative partners and Beijing hopes to work with Islamabad to build on the traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation in various areas and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
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