China says Imran is best friend

ISLAMABAD: As the leading party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continues to build up its lead in the in the general elections, congratulatory messages continue to pour in from friendly countries.

A spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry appreciated the remarks of the PTI chief about China and termed him a best friend. He Imran’s statement reflected the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership would remain strong, despite the change of government. The spokesperson Gen Shuang said Imran Khan has mentioned several times that Pakistan’s relations with China were the cornerstone of his country’s foreign policy.

The spokesman said the people of Pakistan were strong supporters of China-Pakistan friendship. He said China sincerely hopes that Pakistan would successfully complete its political transition, maintain stability and achieve better development.

Meanwhile, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Al-Malki called on Imran Khan and conveyed a message of congratulations and felicitation to him from Saudi Arabian King Salman. He expressed pleasure and satisfaction on the completion of electoral process in Pakistan. The Saudi ambassador and the PTI chief discussed issues of national and regional importance.

The Saudi ambassador said speech of Imran Khan was very positive and comprehensive. He said Saudi Arabia values the feelings and sentiments of Imran Khan.

Nawaf bin Al-Malki said Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman will visit Pakistan soon after the transfer of power in the country. Imran thanked the ambassador for his visit and kind words.

Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal also congratulated Imran Khan on his success in the general elections.

The ambassador in a tweet said: "Over my stay in Pakistan have developed a close friendship resulting from his consistently welcoming positions on Afghanistan: calling for Pak’s constructive role in our peace & stability & strong support for Afghan refugees.”

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s former teammates and rivals congratulated the World Cup winner after his party won the most seats in elections. "Congratulating the new prime minister of our country," tweeted ex-bowler Wasim Akram, who was part of Pakistan´s 1992 World Cup winning side captained by Imran Khan.

"It was in your leadership skip @ImrankhanPTI that we became world champions in 1992. It is in your leadership that we can again become a great democratic country," he wrote on Twitter.

Wasim´s new ball partner Waqar Younis -- who also flourished under Imran Khan’s tutelage -- praised the leader-elect´s live broadcast to the nation on Thursday in which he claimed victory in the elections.

"A special speech from a Great Leader..Very simple, honest and practical..Feeling so proud to be a student of such a Mentor.. Congratulations Skipper," he tweeted. Another member of Pakistan´s triumphant World Cup squad Ramiz Raja also lavished praise on Imran Khan.

"Who could be a bigger and better example of a leader than Imran Khan, who as a super star had the world at his feet and yet elbow greased for 22 years to work for his objective and vision..he’s special and we are proud to have him as our Prime Minister," Ramiz Raja posted on Twitter. Imran Khan, who vowed to improverelations with arch-rival India in his first comments following Wednesday´s polls, also received praise from across the border. "Imran is the epitome of setting the bar high and reaching it. Congratulations & good luck to my cricketing hero, Imran Khan!" tweeted former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, who scored a double hundred against Imran Khan-led Pakistan in 1989.

Ex-Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev, who was a contemporary of Imran Khan, tipped the former right-arm fast bowler to "deliver" as Pakistani leader in a TV interview. "It looks nice that a cricketer and one who we know is going to be the PM," said Dev.

Current Pakistan players Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Hafeez also posted messages on Twitter. "Congrats to @ImranKhanPTI i hope u guys will do the best for Pakistan," tweeted Amir. "Ma Shaa Allah @ImranKhanPTI U done it once again. Long marathon struggle against corruption. A man of strong belief," wrote Hafeez.

Murtaza Ali Shah adds from London: Britain has said that it’s concerned that a number of parties with links to proscribed groups have taken part in the election process of Pakistan that has catapulted former cricketer Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) in the leading position to form government in the centre and at least two provinces.

Answering questions by The News, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt congratulated “the millions of voters who participated in Pakistan’s elections on 25 July”.

He said that the people of Pakistan have shown they will not be cowed by the terrorists who seek to disrupt the democratic process. He said, “I extend my deepest condolences to those affected by recent attacks. This is an important moment for democracy in Pakistan, marking an unprecedented second successive transfer of power from one full-term civilian government to another.”

Jeremy Hunt commended the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for its work. He said, “Running elections in a country of 208 million people is a challenging and complex task. The Election Commission of Pakistan should be commended for its work to improve accountability, transparency and inclusiveness. It is now for Pakistan’s elected representatives to work together to ensure a successful transition. I hope all sides will resolve any disputed results peacefully and in accordance with Pakistan’s electoral laws.”

The UK Foreign Secretary resolved that his country will work with the next elected government of Pakistan and looked forward to it.

“The UK and Pakistan enjoy a longstanding partnership, underpinned by strong links between our people. We look forward to continuing our work with the new federal and provincial governments. The people of Pakistan can be certain of UK support to build the democratic, secure and prosperous future they deserve,” he said.  The foreign minister said that his country was concerned about “reports of pressure on the media” during the election campaign.

He said: “Like the election observation missions, we are also concerned about reports of pressure on the media and the number of parties with links to proscribed groups who preach violence and intolerance. Jinnah’s vision of a tolerant, pluralist Pakistan remains central to a stable and cohesive society.”

Hunt welcomed the initial findings from international and domestic observers. A large number of religious groups – some of them proscribed and involved in sectarian violence – took part in elections and secured decent number of votes but largely failed to win.

Jeremy Hunt spoke about pressures on media in reference to a European Union monitoring team preliminary view which said that the campaign for Pakistan's general election featured a "lack of equality" that meant it was not a level playing field for all parties.

"Although there were several legal provisions aimed at ensuring a level playing field, we have concluded that there was a lack of equality and (of) opportunity," Michael Gahler, chief observer of the EU Election Observation Mission, told a news conference in its preliminary assessment of the poll. He also said that media didn’t enjoy freedom to scrutinise the election process.