China and Pakistan have been close partners for decades, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday, in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attack in Parliament on the government’s foreign policy.
Taking to Twitter, Mr. Jaishankar said some “history lessons are in order”, and pointed out that Pakistan had handed over the Shaksgam Valley illegally to China in 1963, and allowed China to build the Karakoram highway through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the 1970s. He also said China and Pakistan have had close nuclear collaboration for 50 years and also started the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in 2013.
“So ask yourself: were China and Pakistan distant then?” Mr. Jaishankar asked, referring specifically to dates when a Congress-led government was in power at the Centre. The original MoU for CPEC was signed in May 2013, while the $46 billion infrastructure project was formally launched in April 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Islamabad.
In a response on Twitter, Mr. Gandhi said that the “BJP” government’s policies have “united” its enemies. “The threat is imminent. India has become isolated & surrounded,” he added.
Also taking exception to Mr. Gandhi’s contention that the government was unable to host any foreign guests for Republic Day, Mr. Jaishankar pointed out that five leaders of Central Asian Countries were due to visit, but were unable because of the pandemic. “Those who live in India know we were in the midst of a corona wave. The 5 Central Asian Presidents, who were to come, did hold a virtual summit on Jan 27. Did Rahul Gandhi miss that as well?” Mr. Jaishankar wrote, making a pointed jibe at Mr. Gandhi for his visits abroad.