Islamabad :Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered Pakistan’s services as a mediator to bring together US and China as it did decades ago. In an interview with Newsweek, published on Monday, prime minister said, “If China and US so desire, Pakistan would be happy to play a positive role to bridge their differences, as we had done in past.”

Interview revolved around national, regional and global issues and focused in particular on role Pakistan could play in “preventing world from sliding into an ever deeper set of crises”, as put by publication.

PM Shehbaz characterised Pakistan’s foreign policy as one of “friendliness and goodwill towards all nations of world”.

“Pakistan has traditionally maintained good relations with China and United States. Historically, it was Pakistan that acted as a bridge in opening up relationship between United States and Peoples’ Republic of China,” he said.

He said that Pakistan has always underscored need to avoid a confrontational approach. “Bloc politics and any drift towards cold war will not produce any positive results, and in fact would be counterproductive for growth and stability,” he stressed.

“Pakistan strongly believes that inter-state relations should be based on mutual respect and peaceful resolution of disputes by upholding principles of UN charter and international law,” he added.

To a question on what it could mean for Pakistan and rest of world, if nations were asked to choose sides, especially given close ties Pakistan and China enjoy, PM Shehbaz said that while relationship may be “very special”, Pakistan and US “have also maintained a longstanding historic bilateral relationship which covers all issues of mutual interest”.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 17 2022

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