'China-Pakistan ties withstood test,' says Wang Yi amid political turmoil in Islamabad

Amid the ongoing political upheaval in Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, March 30, said that China remains to be "Pakistan’s most reliable partner and strongest backer."

While commenting on the ongoing instability in Pakistan politics as the ‘no-trust motion’ against Imran Khan rises, Wang Yi said, “As always, China will support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and be Pakistan's most reliable partner and strongest backer."

“China-Pakistan's all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has withstood the test,” he added.

Notably, the statement holds significance as, in the past few months, China-Pak's‘ all-weather relationship’ was in choppy waters after sharp differences created a wedge between the two countries over the ambitious $6.8 billion railway project under CPEC.

Swiftly neglecting the possibility of eviction of the incumbent PM Imran Khan, the Foreign Minister withdrew from commenting on the country’s domestic politics.

Imran Khan continues to pin blame on 'foreign conspirators'

The development comes at a time when the outgoing PM Imran Khan, whose party has been deserted by key allies, continues to maintain that the political storm against his government was plotted in a ‘foreign land’ and the conspiracy to topple the ruling alliance was sponsored by ‘foreign conspirators.’

At a time when Khan’s government is standing on a cliff, as its another pertinent ally with 7 MNAs- MQM-(P) resigned from the ruling alliance to bid support to the opposition, the Pakistani Prime Minister, on Wednesday, presented a 'sealed, secret letter' backing his claim of a 'foreign conspiracy'  in the National Security Council meeting.

The Pakistan Prime Minister has already briefed as many as 14 journalists on the said letter. As per sources, in the letter sent to the country's foreign ministry, the sender has expressed its dissatisfaction with Pakistan's policies, including its foreign policy in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

With MQM’s shift towards the opposition, their 7 MNAs will be bidding support against the ruling government. After this, the total tally in support of the opposition will rise to 177 (5 more than the halfway mark- 172), while the PTI-led alliance is left at 164. Earlier, PML(Q) and BNP had also deserted Imran's alliance. The Imran Khan-led government was under the opposition's fire over the surging inflation, increasing debt, misgovernance.

(Image: AP)