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Jaishankar’s Japan Visit Explores Strategic and Global Ties

India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar’s Japan visit has explored ways to transform Special Strategic and Global Partnership, reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concluded his three-day visit to Japan, during which he held meetings and interactions with several top leaders to explore ways to qualitatively transform the Special Strategic and Global Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

The EAM called on Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida and conveyed Prime Minister Modi’s greetings to him. He also briefed Kishida about recent developments in India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, and sought his guidance to further strengthen the relationship.

Jaishankar held the 16th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue with Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa, on March 7.

During this, the two leaders reviewed the broad canvas of India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, including political exchanges; trade, investment, infrastructure and technology collaboration; developmental coordination; defence and security cooperation; as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Jaishankar held the 16th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue with Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa

The two ministers agreed to make the relationship responsive to contemporary demands and foster better understanding between our two peoples. Their discussion touched, inter alia, cooperation for building respective semiconductor ecosystems, green technologies, defence equipment and technology, digital payments, mobility arrangements, promotion of Japanese language in India, etc. The dialogue also covered regional issues of mutual interest in the Indo-Pacific and major global developments, the MEA statement read.

Jaishankar also held meetings with senior political leaders, including; Taro Aso, Vice President of LDP; Toshimitsu Motegi, Secretary General of LDP; and Yoshihide Suga, Chairman of Japan India Association, during which strong sentiments of support for bilateral partnerships were evident.

Jaishankar met the Secretary-General of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshimitsu Motegi

During the visit, he also met Akie Abe and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Modi conveying his condolences over the demise of Madam Yoko Abe, the mother of late Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.

During his visit, Jaishankar also interacted with a wide cross-section of public and opinion makers in Japan.

Jaishankar met with Mrs Akie Abe, wife of late PM Shinzo Abe.

He attended the inaugural Raisina Roundtable in Tokyo, and delivered remarks on India-Japan bilateral relations in the overall context of the evolving global trends. EAM also addressed the Nikkei Forum on India-Japan partnership, outlining the historical and current trajectories in the relationship and reflecting on the new possibilities.

“EAM’s visit to Japan provided a timely opportunity to take stock of the ongoing bilateral cooperation and explore ways to qualitatively transform the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries, in its 10th year,” the MEA statement added. (ANI)

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From Asia to Africa, India’s Key Role in Global South’s Growth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated new infrastructure, including an airstrip and jetty, aiming for regional security and prosperity…reports Asian Lite News

In yet another proof of its emergence as an emphatic voice of the Global South, India joined hands with “valued friend” Mauritius once again to strengthen its maritime security and foster socio-economic development.

Along with six other community development projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian-origin Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth inaugurated a new airstrip and a jetty in Agalega Island on Thursday — a move seen as an attempt to ensure security, prosperity, and stability in the Indian Ocean Region.

The development was seen as a reaffirmation of the Modi government’s focus on ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ as a hallmark of India’s foreign policy. It goes without saying that PM Modi has been successful in setting the economic agenda aimed at shaping global growth at various international forums.

With the oceanic nation being a key partner of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and a special partner under Vision SAGAR, the last 10 years have registered an “unprecedented momentum” in the relations between the two countries.

India has extended a credit line of $1,000 million along with USD 400 million worth of assistance to the people of Mauritius which underlines the fact that addressing the humanitarian issues is of paramount importance for PM Modi.

In addition, New Delhi has contributed profusely to the development of metro rail lines, community development projects, social housing, ENT Hospital, Civil Service College, and sports complexes infrastructures in Mauritius.

In what highlights India’s greater role in the development of various nations under the visionary leadership of PM Modi, the government has initiated around 600 projects on infrastructure, energy, healthcare, etc, in 78 countries, especially from the Global South.

It is these partnerships in the Global South — from security and health to EEZ — that spotlights India’s role as a “vishwaguru”, or global teacher, in leading developmental work across third-world countries.

With the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war putting the third-world nations under a severe strain, Papua New Guinea PM James Marape, in his address at the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation in May 2023, urged PM Modi to offer a voice in the face of the Global North.

Marape reportedly suggested that the Pacific Island countries would rally behind his voice at global forums even as he praised the Indian PM as the leader of the Global South.

India’s efforts for these countries were made amply clear during PM Modi’s address at the opening session of the 2023 Voice of Global South summit where the leader called for creating a new world order to ensure the welfare of citizens in developing countries.

Emphasising that the next phase of global growth will come from countries in the South, PM Modi stressed self-reliance and proposed a four-point global agenda of ‘Respond, Recognise, Respect and Reform’ at the session.

In a bid to remove inequalities, support growth and opportunities, and spread progress and prosperity, the PM — successfully positioning India as a powerhouse of the 21st century — urged the developing countries to work towards redesigning political and financial governance globally.

Apart from Mauritius, the shining examples of developmental contributions made by India, based on the partner country’s priorities, include the recent launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

In a groundbreaking move last year, India and the United Nations launched the ‘India-UN Capacity Building Initiative’, which aims to share the South Asian nation’s development experiences, best practices, and expertise with partner countries in the Global South.

In December last year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Parliament that India has extended lines of credit ‘worth $32.02 billion’ for infra projects in Asian and African countries.

Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, said that these funds have supported more than 600 projects in sectors ranging from infrastructure, power, connectivity and health.

Providing a breakup of the line of credit amount, Muraleedharan said about $17.06 billion has gone to countries in Asia, $12.15 billion to those in Africa, and $2.81 billion to countries elsewhere.

Further, grant assistance projects with countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan have also been set up as part of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

The parliament was also told that the government is also offering capacity-building assistance to its partners in the Global South under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC).

“Around 160 countries benefit from these scholarships every year. More than 14,000 training slots are available annually for civilian and defence courses,” V. Muraleedharan had said.

Via ITEC, India has helped countries like Afghanistan, Lithuania, Maldives, Nepal, etc, and scholarships were also announced for Pacific Island Countries in May last year.

ALSO READ-South Africa’s economy estimated to grow 1.6% 

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Pakistan Drops to ‘Authoritarian’ Status in Democracy Index

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Democracy Index 2023 report has reclassified Pakistan from a “hybrid regime” to an “authoritarian regime”

Pakistan becomes the only Asian country to be downgraded to an “authoritarian regime”, registering the greatest deterioration of any country in the region classified as “Australia and Asia”, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Democracy Index 2023 report.

It has been reclassified from a “hybrid regime” to an “authoritarian regime”, Geo News reported, citing the report.

The EIU Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy in 165 independent states and two territories.

Out of the 28 countries in the region that are included in the index, 15 recorded a decline in their score, and only eight registered an improvement.

Notably, Pakistan’s score on the EIU Democracy Index fell by 0.88 to 3.25, resulting in a fall of 11 places in the global ranking table, to 118th, according to Geo News.

Additionally, the report highlighted that along with the intervention in the electoral process and government dysfunction, the independence of the judiciary has been severely curtailed in Pakistan.

Lahore, Feb 8 (ANI): People stand in a queue to cast their votes for the Pakistan Election 2024, in Lahore. (ANI Photo)

Since 2008, the country’s score on the democracy index remained a little over 4, however, for the first time in 2023, its score fell to 3.25 during the coalition government primarily comprising of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamait Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F).

Moreover, Pakistan’s 2-23 score on the democracy index is even worse than in 2006 (3.92) when military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf was in a ruling position, Geo News reported.

Calling it “disappointing”, Pakistan Institue of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, said, “This is a very disappointing development as Pakistan has scored the lowest since 2017 and our category has also been downgraded from a hybrid regime’ to an authoritarian regime.”

He further urged all stakeholders to “undertake serious soul searching at this state of affairs”.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said that it is unfortunate that after 15 consecutive years of formal civilian rule and some decentralisation reforms that strengthened Pakistan’s democracy, the country has regressed to the point where it’s being characterised as less democratic than it was during periods of formal military rule.

Pakistani security forces are seen near the site of an attack in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb. 17, 2023. (Str/Xinhua)

“And sadly, the trend lines don’t suggest this pattern will change anytime soon,” he added.

Madiha Afzal, a scholar at the Brookings Institution, noted that it’s no surprise that Pakistan has been downgraded from a hybrid regime to an authoritarian one by EIU, given the space ceded to the establishment by the PDM and their growing influence during the caretaker setup that followed, Geo News reported.

“It should also be a signal that the world is watching Pakistan’s democratic backsliding and its authoritarian turn,” she added. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Election Turmoil: Pakistan Supreme Court Enters the Fray

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Unpacking the Challenges for Pakistan’s Next Government

It is an established fact that addressing structural weaknesses has been one of the most ignored issues by political governments in the past, which has pushed the country in a state of virtual financial meltdown…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan is a country hit with severe levels of inflation and poverty due to the recent policy decisions undertaken by the government to meet the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

When the inflation hit and poverty stricken voters make way to the polling stations on 8th February 2024, after hearing promises and tall claims of contesting parties for over a month of election campaigns and public gatherings, expectations from the winning party would be very high and may just become a sore disappointment in the coming days.

This is because the lofty claims of better days of politicians may just be put to rest in front of the standing economic and financial challenges confronting the new government from day one.

It would certainly not be a bed of roses for any political party or a government formed through coalition as Pakistan’s economic scene has been bruised by political incompetence, misadventures and missteps from the past decades of failed governance and management.

It would not be wrong to say that getting the country out of the economic crisis would be a long and tedious process, that also if the next government decides to take difficult decisions and work for that goal and also if the voters are willing to survive more shocks for better days.

The current rate of inflation in Pakistan is hovering around 30 per cent while the ones living below the poverty line are consistently rising with every passing day. As per estimates, about 38.2 per cent of the total population of the country (242 million) is estimated to be below the poverty line and the percentage continues to rise with ever-increasing rates of electricity, gas, fuel and other essentials.

It is an established fact that addressing structural weaknesses has been one of the most ignored issues by political governments in the past, which has pushed the country in a state of virtual financial meltdown.

And even though the politicians know these realities; they continue to make lofty promises and claims to attract their voters and come into power. From promising lower bills, cheaper groceries and better days to immediate relief to the common people – statements of politicians continue to become more and more irresponsible and far away from reality.

It is another known fact that the IMF has put a stop to freebies for the government and public expense. Yet, the leading parties continue promising free electricity and gas, a promise completely opposite to the state of the national economy.

The new government will have to immediately start working and finalize another long-term bailout package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through deeper and broader reforms.

“The new regime’s diplomatic and economic policy capabilities will also be tested almost immediately, as the new administration performs a balancing act between the IMF for multilateral support and relationships at the personal and state-level with the Chinese leadership, which now stands as Pakistan’s biggest creditor,” said senior economist Khaleeq Kiani.

He said that while the IMF-led lenders had been insisting on renegotiation of electricity contracts with China, as Pakistan did with other local and international investors, at least three previous requests for an extension in the debt repayment period for Chinese power producers had been given the cold shoulder.

While things do not look rosy at all for any upcoming government, the polls would resolve the political instability in the country and give way to work up economic reform on a long-term basis through an elected government.

ALSO READ-Pakistan’s Election Focus: Domestic Priorities Overshadow Foreign Relations

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India Tops Asia Again

The Morgan Stanley report highlights India’s attractiveness within Asia, emphasizing its strong potential from a domestic demand perspective…reports Sanjeev Sharma

India’s nominal GDP growth will accelerate to 11.6 per cent this year versus 9.2 per cent in 2023, making it the third consecutive year that the country’s nominal GDP growth will be the strongest in Asia, according to a Morgan Stanley report.

Within Asia, India offers a compelling opportunity from a domestic demand alpha standpoint, the report said.

India’s contribution to Asian and global growth will rise to 30 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, up from 28 per cent and 16 per cent in 2023. Over the medium term, real GDP growth will average 6.3 per cent until F32.

The report pointed to initial signs of rural consumption improving. There are now some signs that the broader consumption recovery in volume terms picked up pace in 4Q23, helped in part by firming rural demand.

Consumer durable goods production growth has strengthened to a 17-month high of 5.3 per centY during the October-November festive period.

Passenger vehicle sales growth accelerated to 27 per centY in Oct-Nov, vs. 22 per centY in 3Q. Importantly, two-wheeler sales growth has picked up to 26 per centY in Oct-Nov (vs. a weak -2 per centY in 3Q), indicating that rural demand is now joining in the recovery. This is also corroborated by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales volume data which shows rural volume growth has accelerated to 6.4 per centY in 3Q23, vs. 4.0 per cent%Y in 2Q23 and just 0.3 per centY in 1Q23.

The effects of the policy push on supply side reforms have already been reflected in very strong outturns in public capex so far.

“We see the next phase of the capex cycle and indeed the expansion to be sustained by a pickup in private capex which will uplift and sustain productivity growth,” the report said.

Capex is accelerating as real GFCF growth has already accelerated to 11 per centY in 3Q23, much higher than the 2019-22 average of 6.2 per centY and also above the pre-covid 2017-18 average of 9.6 per centY.

In terms of the high frequency data that we have been monitoring, the incoming data continues to paint a positive picture on the current trends in capex.

Public capex has been strong with the Central government’s capex to GDP ratio rising to 3 per cent, an 18-year high.

Moreover, state-level capex data for 19 states show a renewed acceleration in state capex growth. On a 4Q trailing sum basis, private projects under implementation data is also rising to 18.5 per centY in 4Q23, up from an already strong 16.8 per cent in 3Q23.

FDI data has also risen in Oct-23.

“Finally, our India economics team’s proprietary capex indicator shows that the count of capex mentions by companies continued to accelerate for five consecutive quarters, rising to its all-time high in 2Q23,” Morgan Stanley said.

ALSO READ: Caution Ahead!

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India second in Asia for most Internet Exchange Points

IXPs have a significant impact on improving the digital capabilities of public services, which is crucial for countries like India...reports Asian Lite News

India has secured the 2nd spot in Asia last year for the most Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) per country, a new report revealed on Saturday.According to the Internet Society Pulse Country Report, this marks a significant milestone in India’s commitment to adopting advanced technologies and addressing the challenges of a connected world.An IXP is a physical and usually neutral location where different networks meet to exchange local traffic.

“In an era where streaming, digital education, and the global work-from-home economy heavily rely on IXPs, their importance cannot be overstated in the context of India, given its growing number of Internet users,” said Michuki Mwangi, the Internet Society’s Distinguished Technologist, and former CTO of Kenya Internet Exchange Point.”While India is one of the leaders in Asia, it needs to expand on this good work and deploy more IXPs, encourage the remaining 85 per cent of networks to peer with these, and establish more local data centres, for it to increase the speed and affordability of its Internet services,” he added.IXPs have a significant impact on improving the digital capabilities of public services, which is crucial for countries like India.

IXPs promote local content development and provide incentives for local Internet service hosting.”With an Internet penetration of approximately 67 per cent in a country of 1.3 billion, the number of people who are still digitally disconnected is huge,” said Saadia Azim, COO of Bangla Sahayata Kendra, a digital public services platform in West Bengal.”This gap contributes to a widening digital divide, where those left behind — which are mostly those in rural areas — miss out on technological advancements, affecting various aspects of human development,” she added.

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South Korea’s president gets royal welcome on UK state visit

Britain has launched trade talks with several countries since leaving the EU in 2020, though it has finalized deals only with Australia and New Zealand…reports Asian Lite News

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was greeted by Britain’s King Charles III and a military honor guard on Tuesday at the start of a state visit aimed at strengthening trade and defense ties between the two countries.

The UK government hopes the Korean leader’s formal three-day visit will help cement an ” Indo-Pacific tilt ” in its foreign and trade policy.

The king and Queen Camilla greeted Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee at Horse Guards Parade, a military parade ground in central London. Heir to the throne Prince William and government ministers also attended the welcome ceremony, where the king and president inspected rows of soldiers from the Scots Guards in grey tunics and bearskin hats.

The visiting couple traveled by horse-drawn coach down an avenue lined with British and Korean flags to Buckingham Palace. The king is due to host a state banquet for the guests at the palace on Tuesday evening.

Yoon also is scheduled to address Parliament and to hold talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak focused on trade, technology and defense. A defense agreement will see the two countries’ navies work together to curb smuggling and to enforce U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea to curb its nuclear weapons ambitions.

UK and Korean officials also will officially launch talks on an “upgraded” free trade agreement to replace their current deal, which largely replicates the arrangements the U.K. had before it left the European Union.

Britain has launched trade talks with several countries since leaving the EU in 2020, though it has finalized deals only with Australia and New Zealand. The U.K. also has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, an Asia-Pacific trade bloc that includes Japan and 10 other nations.

Sunak and Yoon are expected to sign an agreement covering cooperation in defense and technology, including artificial intelligence. Britain hosted the first international AI Safety Summit this month, and South Korea intends to hold a follow-up event next year.

Britain also plans to invest in South Korean semiconductor manufacturing as part of international efforts to diversify the supply of the key computer components. Many of the advanced chips are produced in Taiwan, and the coronavirus pandemic and an increasingly assertive China have heightened concerns about future supply.

Sunak said agreements made during Yoon’s visit would “drive investment, boost trade and build a friendship that not only supports global stability, but protects our interests and lasts the test of time.”

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‘2+2 Dialogue Key Part of Blinken’s Asia Visit’

Donald Lu said that a key part of the 2+2 Dialogue has also been defense co-production with India and Washington intends to encourage more collaboration to produce world-class defense equipment to meet Indian defense needs and contribute to greater global security…reports Asian Lite News

US Assistant Secretary for Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu said that the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a “key part” of State Secretary Antony Blinken’s upcoming visit and the major focus of the discussions would be towards keeping the Indo-Pacific “free, open, prosperous, and secure”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on a visit to six nations namely; Israel, Jordan, Japan, South Korea and lastly, India.

Addressing a special briefing, Donald Lu said, “Secretary Blinken will be in India on November 10. He will be joined by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. They will be traveling to India for the annual 2+2 Dialogue, in which they have extended discussions with their ministerial counterparts. In addition, the Secretary will hold meetings with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and other senior Indian officials”.

He added, “This is a key part of the Secretary’s trip to Asia. One of the many discussion points will be our cooperation with India to keep the Indo-Pacific free, open, prosperous, and secure. The leaders will also discuss the conflict between Israel and Hamas and Russia’s war against Ukraine”.

The 2+2 Dialogue was created in 2018, and it allows the two countries to have high-level discussions about strategic and defense issues.

On being asked if China will be a topic of discussion during the Ministerial dialogue, Lu said that Washington would be interested to know about the discussions between New Delhi and Beijing regarding the border standoff.

“Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in terms of our efforts to support a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific is very much formally on the agenda. I think we will be interested to hear how India’s discussions with China are going related to border issues, and I’m sure our Indian counterparts will be very interested to hear about Wang Yi’s visit to the United States and the announced meeting between President Biden and President Xi at the APEC Summit,” he further said.

Donald Lu said that a key part of the 2+2 Dialogue has also been defense co-production with India and Washington intends to encourage more collaboration to produce world-class defense equipment to meet Indian defense needs and contribute to greater global security.

“Finally, the four cabinet officials, our two secretaries and their counterparts, will also discuss our efforts to advance democracy and human rights, as well as our expanded cooperation in clean energy, counterterrorism, artificial intelligence, space, and semiconductor manufacture,” he said.

Referring to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the US Official further stated that India was direct in its condemnation of the terror attack on Israel on October 7 and at the same time has called for sustained humanitarian access to Gaza.

“With India, we share the goals of preventing this conflict from spreading, preserving stability in the Middle East, and advancing a two-state solution,” he added.

On being asked about the India-Canada diplomatic standoff, the US Official said that Washington is hopeful that the investigation will proceed and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

“We have publicly and privately urged the Indian Government to cooperate with Canada on the investigation into the allegations made by Prime Minister Trudeau. I know that we have been in constant contact with our Canadian partners, and we are hopeful that Canada’s investigation will proceed, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” Lu further added.

Notably, Antony Blinken will be travelling to India to participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue along with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The delegation will meet with Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Blinken Visits Israel for Ongoing Talks on Gaza Conflict

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Party Problems Cast Shadow on Nawaz’s 4th Term

During the 16-months’ tenure of Shehbaz’s PMship, the PML-N saw several party leaders, majority of them Punjab veterans, turning to London for their grievances to be heard. It led to the party touching its lowest ebb of popularity in Punjab since Nawaz Sharif’s entry into politics under General Zia-ul-Haq’s tutelage in 1980’s, writes Mohammed Anas

Despite having been given a favourable pitch for the final political innings of his life, the “reconciled” return of former Prime Minister Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif is not appearing changa (okay). The problem for the establishment (military), his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), its immediate coalition partners like Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal, the judiciary, and above it all for Punjab, his home state, is the same – his return.

First complex web that Sharif’s return has woven is around Sharifs – his clan. He has to decide on his succession. Then, who will be next – his daughter Maryam Nawaz or brother Shehbaz Sharif (and after him possibly his son Hamza).

A senior N-leaguer told the Dawn that Sharif is old and thinking about his legacy. “He is the senior-most statesman in the country. He is now at a point where he would be thinking about his legacy. He will want to think of some kind of grand reconciliation, to put the country back on track,” he said, hinting that both the Sharif family and their party will soon undergo leadership changes.

The average age of senior N-league leaders is above 70 and most of them are eager to adjust their next generation into politics.

There are rumours of Maryam Nawaz being primed for the position of deputy prime minister. In case, the family feud ensues, this position may go to Shehbaz. However, Shehbaz’s fortune, say PML-N insiders, depends on how the party fares in Punjab. Then, there will be the coveted chair of Punjab chief minister.

Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif

Recently, the party was reported to be trailing way behind PTI in opinion polls. However, reports after Sharif’s return say that it is recovering.

During the 16-months’ tenure of Shehbaz’s PMship, the PML-N saw several party leaders, majority of them Punjab veterans, turning to London for their grievances to be heard. It led to the party touching its lowest ebb of popularity in Punjab since Nawaz Sharif’s entry into politics under General Zia-ul-Haq’s tutelage in 1980’s.

“Midterm elections, public opinion polls, on-street sentiments and the responses to the PML-N’s calls for public gatherings all point towards the League grappling with an unprecedented decline in popularity,” wrote Zaigham Khan in Dawn, while taking stock of the PML-N’s status of affairs after Sharif’s return.

The PML-N’s decline came about despite the ground being cleared after the castle of Imran Khan’s PTI crumbled leader by leader and arrest by arrest. The PML-N in fact ended up ceding ground to PTI that is still enjoying widespread acceptance, especially among youths – 18 million youths became new voters in 2018 polls and after the new Census, around 21 million youth voters are said to have been added in the voter lists for 2024 elections.

N-leaguers say that they asked Shehbaz again and again to call elections last summer when chips of PTI were down, and the politics was not complex, and there were other reasons.

However, Shehbaz was either too busy to steady the stumbling economy or confined to the comfort of his administration-savvy image that he lost track of the party. The reports of rift between him and Maryam were routine and many a time both had to clarify that “all was well” between them.

Shehbaz Sharif, who became PM in senior Sharif’s absence, is also the chief of the PML-N.

“Both the elder Sharif and his daughter Maryam are striving not to take ownership of the party’s rule under Shehbaz,” wrote Zaigham.

The best thing for the PML-N, Zaigham says, has been that Imran Khan is behind the bars and “his party is encountering difficulties similar to what Sharif and the PML-N faced after being ousted by Musharraf in 1999”. The only difference is that while PML-N then had withered and Musharraf was able to cobble up PML-Quaid led by Chaudhry brothers (Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain) and other Punjab politicians.

Imran’s PTI has maintained its popularity and it is unnerving the PML-N.

Sharif’s return actually is being promoted by the PML-N as the solution to the gloom that pervades in the country and to fill the cracks in the party.

Nawaz Sharif’s return will certainly help restore some confidence to the party rank and file, but, the freshness of bayaniya (narrative) to reinvigorate Pakistanis and N-leaguers seems missing.

Pakistani commentators, both from English and Urdu press, are severely apprehensive of Sharif generating any enthusiasm in serious Pakistanis.

“It is not clear whether he would be able to mobilise mass support in the changing political and social environment, despite the establishment’s tacit support and the planned elimination of the PTI from the electoral scene. The prospect appears bleaker with the disastrous performance of the PML-N-led coalition government that stepped down in August to make way for the caretaker set-up,” said Zahid Hussain, a senior columnist-writer.

Hussain even doubts PML-N’s ability to pave ground for itself on its own.

“It will be difficult for the party to go into elections without fresh ideas or a concrete programme to help it win back the support of its erstwhile political power base. Nawaz Sharif’s speech on his return was full of rhetoric, extolling his previous government’s performance, which remains questionable,” said senior Pakistani commentator Zahid Hussain.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the PML-N leadership is not willing to change itself to make the party relevant to the fast-changing political and social dynamics of the country, added Hussain. “The increasing stranglehold of the Sharif family over the party is also a serious impediment to broadening the PML-N’s political base,” he said.

The poor prospects of the PML-N may force the Pakistani establishment to postpone the elections which are set for late January. “Any major party at least requires a minimum 45 days of poll campaign to arrive at the threshold of the victory. The PML-N doesn’t appear to be such a party, at least as of now. Thus, the election dates may be postponed to February or even to March. However, the dates have reportedly been decided and that is January 28,” said Rasheed.

Rasheed says the road to the throne of Pakistan goes through Punjab. “Sharifs have to first win in Punjab and then rule from Islamabad. Punjab (PML-N in Punjab) is the tangle for them, and the time is ticking,” he said in his Facebook broadcast.

Rasheed also hinted towards an interesting development. Without naming his sources, he said that the changing international political scene due to ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict may also play a part in deciding political dynamics in Pakistan. “Among all Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia takes the maximum interest in Pakistani affairs. The communication from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to the Pakistani establishment is said to be different. Besides, he personally likes Imran Khan,” he said.

But Shafqat Ali, an Islamabad-based journalist well-connected with the elements of the Pakistani establishment, told India Narrative that despite stumbling blocks, the road is clear for Sharif.

“Punjab is Nawaz Sharif’s stronghold and after his return the people have shown good response. His homecoming rally has been encouraging for the PML-N. The family rifts that are being claimed by rivals have hardly been visible in public in the last 7 days. Then, Sharif has changed his stance about the establishment (he didn’t utter a word about them in his welcome rally). Both are mutually acceptable,” he said.

Ali said that Sharif is set for a record fourth term as Pakistan PM. There is little room for review appeal against this possibility.

(India Narrative)

ALSO READ: NAWAZ 4.0: PAKISTAN ARMY’S NEW SAFE BET

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Sri Lanka to Promote China-India Unity to Develop Asia

President Wickremesinghe has also expressed Sri Lanka’s hope to establish a maritime economic corridor linking China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and South Africa….writes Susitha Fernando

Sri Lanka President Rani Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka is committed to preserve peace and identity of Indian Ocean region and has also advocated for cooperation between India and China to foster development in Asia.

President Wickremesinghe was on a four day visit to China to attend an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) where he also geld meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Wickremesinghe has also expressed Sri Lanka’s hope to establish a maritime economic corridor linking China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

“President Xi Jinping acknowledged the challenging nature of this endeavour and encouraged President Wickremesinghe to take the lead,” President Media Division (PMD) in Colombo announced.

During the bilateral discussion President Jinping has said that China is committed to assist Sri Lanka in achieving economic stability without any political agenda.

Chinese President has highlighted Sri Lanka’s port city and Hambantota port as key projects under this initiative and pledged to promote imports of Sri Lankan products to China and increase investments in Sri Lanka.

Additionally, President Xi Jinping assured that China would provide friendly, practical and timely support for Sri Lanka’s debt optimisation program, the PMD said.

“President Xi Jinping reiterated China’s commitment to the “One China” policy and expressed gratitude for Sri Lanka’s support for the “Belt and Road” initiative. He highlighted the port city and Hambantota port as key projects under this initiative and pledged to promote imports of Sri Lankan products to China and increase investments in Sri Lanka, the PMD explained. 

China’s President has also assured that China would provide friendly, practical and timely support for Sri Lanka’s debt optimisation program.

President Jinping has acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly, delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe which reflected the country’s strategic independence and its neutral stance.

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