[Dawn] Beyond the spectacle, what is the long-term significance of the Chinese president's much-hyped two-day visit to Islamabad? Grandstanding aside, what stood out most was the virtual unanimity of mainstream political parties that China and Pakistain are -- in Prime Minister Sharif's words -- "truly iron brothers".| There is a suggestion that China has been instrumental in forcing the military to abandon some of its harebrained ‘strategic’ objectives in Afghanistan. |
So should we all follow suit and bask in the glory of the Asian superpower's unmatched economic and political commitments to Pakistain's development? As with everything else that matters in this country, there has till now been little meaningful debate outside the highest echelons of power about China's ever-expanding role both in Pakistain and the wider region. I will note down here only some pointers that might stimulate such a debate.