LAHORE: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday said that no foreign country had the right to dictate to Pakistan on any matter, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Radio Pakistan reported.
Addressing a function in the city, he commented on the US defence secretary’s statement that the CPEC passes through a disputed territory by saying that the US needed to keep its statements on this project to itself. He said that the CPEC was a long-term project, which would pay dividends for the next four to five decades.
The minister said that Pakistan was not ready to listen to “do more” anymore, adding that the government was already busy cleaning up the mess created by the US in Pakistan.
He said Pakistan had done a great job and the armed forces, police and civilians had sacrificed thousands of lives. He said that China did not interfere in the matters of its friends and “it only focuses on economic matters”.
Saad said that the conditions in Pakistan were not as bad as they were being portrayed all over the world. He said that Pakistan was a nuclear power and had one of the best forces in the world. “Besides, there is a strong judiciary and a vibrant media, while people have the right to vote and political parties are working for the welfare of the people.”
“Third-world countries don’t even have media [freedom]; Pakistanis have the right to elect their representatives,” he said.
The minister said that the Pakistan Railways was still facing deficit but it had been reduced thanks to the efforts of the Railways administration.
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