Pakistan, China to strengthen parliamentary ties

By Masood Sattar Khan in Beijing

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Member National Assembly (MNA) Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, alongwith the 15-member delegation of young parliamentarians, was warmly welcomed by Vice Minister of International Department of Communist Party of China (CPC), Chen Fengxiang, in Beijing.

Welcoming the delegation at the CPC headquarters, Chen Fengxiang stressed the need for long-term regular and institutionalized party relations between the two countries. Both sides agreed to further strengthen and deepen party to party relations and exchanges at the party level. It was also discussed how both parties can benefit from each other’s experiences for improving the capacity of political parties.

The visit is a consequence of the MoU signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s official visit to China in July last year. The Pakistan Muslim League (N) delegation is being led by Party Secretary General, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra also visited China in September last year. The CPC delegation also carried out reciprocal visit to Pakistan in Febraury this year.

Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, at a luncheon hosted by Ambassador Masood Khalid at the Pakistan House in Beijing, said that the visit provided an opportunity to both sides to discuss further strengthening of party relations between the two countries and share experience about the formation and structure of political parties in the two countries.

Highlighting the time tested, all weather friendship he said that this was a very special trip to a China with which we have cooperation and convergence in all areas. He also visited the metro orange line in Beijing to experience and observe the Beijing transportation system.

Pakistan’s parliamentarian delegation of ruling political party, the PML arrived in China on April 21 and will depart on April 29.

The delegation activities started from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province where the delegation visited the grass roots organization of CPC ‘CPC Primary Unit.’ They also visited the Pakistan study center at the Sichuan University and held in depth discussion on formation, structure and capacity building of political parties in each other’s countries.

The delegation comprised Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Mohammad Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Marvi Memon, Jam Kamal Khan, Dr Darshan, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, Muhammad Tallal Chaudhry, Mariyum Aurangzeb, Saud Majeed, Mohammad Khurram Gulfam, Qazi Adnan Fareed. 

Red Army veteran praises Nawaz visit; emphasizes to emulate President Xi welfare policies

By Masood Sattar Khan in Beijing

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A veteran of Red Army while praising Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif for his address and participation in the Boao Forum for Asia in China said that Pakistan need to emulate the policies of present leadership of China led by President Xi Jingping to address the economic woes.

“I was very delighted to see on television your prime minister addressing the Boao Forum and meeting Premier Li Keqiang,” Zhong Ming remarked in an exclusive interview.

Zhong, who will turn 100-year in coming August, said that “together we (Pakistan-China) can build a harmonious society. The cooperation between the two countries will have win-win situation for both the people, he added.

The veteran Red Army solder said that if welfare polices of China is emulated by the present government in Pakistan, it can also help improve the lot of the common people.

Zhong,on the directions of Chairman Mao Zedong served in various capacity in Red army and also assigned responsibilities in strategic important Shanxi province.

Highlighting the grass-root level policies of the Chinese government particularly for the down trodden masses lived in surrounding counties and villages of Ganzhou in below poverty line, he said that now prosperity can be seen on their face. It was possible because of upward trajectory of the socio-economic condition of the villagers, he noted.

Zhong, on the directions of Chairman Mao Zedong served in various capacities in Red army and also assigned tasks in strategic important Shanxi province.

Since 2012, when President Xi was holding the charge as Country’s Vice-President he had approved a number of welfare projects on the recommendations of the local party head Mr. He Shunping of Xingguo county in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province.

Now people even at the county level have uninterrupted electricity, well equipped schools, clinics, internet and even houses for old and retired service people, a senior local government   official said .

He pointed out that under a policy, farmers were provided new homes for which major chunk of money was arranged by the banks on the instructions of the government on very nominal interest rate.

 “We are very pleased and proud in living in new homes, as in old homes, life was miserable especially during monsoon season when we were constrained to live in mud-home where water used to creep from roof and walls,” Wu Guanghuang, a 78-year old farmer of Xinfeng county in Ganzhou, said who had fortunately survived from the massive flooding that inundated his muddy house built within his field of tobacco crop.