‘China had warned Pak against poll experiment’

‘China had warned Pak against poll experiment’

Islamabad: China had warned the Pakistan establishment against any “new experiment” ahead of the 2018 general elections, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has claimed. The minister made the claim on Saturday night when he lashed out at the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) government for harming the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“China — in a diplomatic manner — had tried to convey (a message) to the then establishment to avoid any new experiment as it would derail the CPEC,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was quoted as saying by the Geo TV.

The then establishment, however, assured Beijing that whoever would come into power will not create obstacles in the path of the mega infrastructure and connectivity project.

Beijing had asked the establishment not to interfere in elections as “any experiment of change will not be beneficial for Pakistan and will destroy the CPEC”, the planning minister added.