People are questioning Prime Minister Imran Khan and his priorities.
As you all probably know, Prime Minister Imran Khan left last night for a 5 day official tour of China.
Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives at Beijing.
Chinese Minister for Transport Mr. Li Xiaopeng, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Mr. Yao Jing and Ambassador of Pakistan to China Mr. Masood Khalid received the Prime Minister upon arrival in Beijing. pic.twitter.com/8ffHQZKNji
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) November 1, 2018
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen ties with China further and discuss the future of CPEC. However, the timing of the visit is less than desirable considering the perilous time Pakistan seems to be going through currently with the wide spread violent protests by a right-wing group.
And of course, people questioned (even mocked) Prime Minister Imran Khan for going on this trip since it did not even seem too important given the circumstances the country is in right now
Mulk lun p rakh k PM hmara gaya hua hai.#PMIKVisitsChina
— Aijaz🇵🇰 (@pewpyy) November 2, 2018
#PMIKVisitsChina pm 6 billion dollar ki grant lene gar hai or si KHI mai pichle 3 din mai 15 billion Rupees ka nuqsan ho chuka hai …tou phr zaroori kya hai….
— zeeshan elahi (@shani658) November 2, 2018
No PM, no interior minister even top leadership of PTI is absent. Dabu Chaudhry and chohan are dealing with the situation, what a pity. Poor Nation #PMIKVisitsChina
— Uzair Gillani (@uzairgillani) November 2, 2018
They’re even digging up old tweets from Imran Khan when he was in the opposition and other leaders went on foreign visits while country was going through tense situations
Lethal. Twitter is lethal. #PMIKVisitsChina pic.twitter.com/7A69LIEvnC
— Maleeha Manzoor (@MaleehaManzoor) November 2, 2018
They Say Karma is a Witch, always follows you back. #PMIKVisitsChina pic.twitter.com/ZZfMwz38vd
— Zubair Mirza (@Mirza_86) November 2, 2018
The Prime Minister not being received by a higher Chinese official is another matter of ego for some
Imran Khan leaves Pakistan at this critical juncture. Only to be received by Chinese Minister for Transport. Wah bhai wah. https://t.co/cRadNhSgIO
— Ayesha Ijaz Khan (@ayeshaijazkhan) November 1, 2018
It's a poor effort from Pakistani diplomatic mission in Beijing. They should have negotiated a higher level welcome for #PMKhan
Diplomatic norms require at least similar level delegation welcoming the guests. @ImranKhanPTI #PMIKVisitsChina pic.twitter.com/84hsW1RvMM— Farhad Zulfiqar (@Farhad_Zulfiqar) November 2, 2018
But a lot of people are genuinely upset that the Prime Minister left the country when everything currently seems so unstable and with the widespread reports of riots expected.
I believe PM @ImranKhanPTI should cut short his visit and return. Pakistan needs him today more than anything. No one else in the state has the courage to take on the bigots like he did. Before it's too late
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) November 2, 2018
When major cities in Pakistan are under lockdown, schools and workplaces are off, & protestors are burning public & private property, Pakistan’s PM @ImranKhanPTI who also holds the Interior portfolio, has left for a visit to China. Shameful, irresponsible, & reeks of apathy. https://t.co/a0fgh72Epc
— Usama Khilji (@UsamaKhilji) November 1, 2018
Irresponsible. Shows what are priorities for pakistan. Pak is burning and pm is in another country. Imagine what the chinese must b thinking- correctly
— Nilofer Afridi Qazi (@ninoqazi) November 2, 2018
While Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and the government maintain that the Prime Minister is being updated with every single detail constantly and has only left because he knew things were in control
People still seem to be unhappy that Imran Khan is in China when he should be maintaining oversight directly on this entire sorry mess which has been created in the country since Aasia Bibi’s verdict.
The relationship has not only benefited the two countries but also the region. President Xi Jinping
Prime Minister Imran Khan extended an invitation to President Xi Jinping to visit Pakistan.@PakPMO #PMIKVisitsChina
🇵🇰🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/2DxasYZy5k— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 2, 2018
ملک میں امن و امان کی صورتحال کنٹرول میں ہے، ریاست کے صبر کو اس کی کمزوری نہ سمجھا جائے، آئین اور قانون کی مکمل عملداری ہی عوام کا مفاد ہے اور ہم یہ فرض پورا کریں گے، وزیر اعظم کو صورتحال سے لمحہ بہ لمحہ باخبر رکھا جا رہا ہے ، چین کے اہم دورے کو سبوتاژ کرنے کی کوشش ناکام ہو گی
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 1, 2018
But people were not satisfied with the explanation that this visit had been scheduled far in advance and was imperative for the country’s economic advancement. A lot of people still believe that Imran Khan should have postponed the visit and stayed within the country till things were sorted out.
چین کے دورے کا ملکی صورتحال سے کوئی تعلق نہیں۔ کیا حکومت کو خبر نہیں تھی کہ فیصلے کے بعد کیا ردعمل آئے گا اور حکومت نے کوئی حکمت عملی کیوں بنائی اس وقت وزیر اعظم کا ملک میں ہونا زیادہ ضروری تھا کیونکہ احتجاج کرنے والے بھی پاکستانی ہیں کوئی غیر نہیں ۔
— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) November 1, 2018
Mulk m agg Lagi hoi kisi ko fikr nae
— Wasim Bari (@WasimBa10015856) November 2, 2018
Meanwhile the mullahs are destroying country and terrorising people. Imran Khan holidaying in China. This is much worse than Nawaz Sharif in France during the floods.
— Saqib ali (@Saqibal46480798) November 2, 2018
Critics pointed out that while the trip had indeed been planned in advance and it would reflect badly on Pakistan to have postponed it, it should have been scheduled for a better time since the government should have expected these riots after the Aasia Bibi verdict.
Do you think Imran Khan’s visit to China should have been postponed? Let us know in the comments.
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Cover Image Source: @PTIOfficial via Twitter.com