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Tuesday March 19, 2024

U-turn hallmark of great leadership: PM

"Doing a U-turn to reach one's objective is the hallmark of great leadership, just as lying to save ill-gotten wealth is the hallmark of crooks," Imran said in a tweet

By Mariana Babar & Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
November 19, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday reaffirmed his U-turn statement saying that taking a U-turn to reach one's objective is the "hallmark of great leadership".

"Doing a U-turn to reach one's objective is the hallmark of great leadership, just as lying to save ill-gotten wealth is the hallmark of crooks," he said in a tweet.

Imran Khan on Friday had said that a leader who does not take U-turns according to the requirements of the situation is not a real leader. During an interaction with journalists at the PM House, the premier had cited an example from his cricket days when he led Pakistan's national team saying, "We used to make a strategy and then step out into the field but if the opponent team formed a strategy against ours, then we would have to change it."

Meanwhile, Imran Khan during his day-long visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held meetings with the Crown Prince Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other leaders. The prime minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

During the talks, Pakistan and the UAE decided to transform the bilateral ties into long-term strategic economic partnership. A joint statement issued upon conclusion of Imran Khan’s visit to the UAE said the two sides agreed to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate cooperation and partnership in areas encompassing trade, investment, economic development, energy, infrastructure and agriculture with a view to accrue early dividends from the economic partnership.

The prime minister was received by Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan and accorded a ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace, which was followed by delegation level talks. In Dubai, the prime minister was received by Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. ImranKhan also visited Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the Martyrs’ Memorial where he paid homage to Emirati heroes who had sacrificed in the service of their nation.

Delegation level talks with the crown prince focused on all areas of bilateral, regional, and global interest. Expressing satisfaction at the positive trajectory of relations, the two leaders agreed to take immediate measures to further elevate their historic partnership. They resolved to strengthen trade and economic ties and eliminate all impediments to seamless flow of trade and investment between the two countries. They expressed satisfaction over the fruitful outcome of the visit of the high-level UAE economic delegation to Pakistan recently and reiterated their resolve to transform the existing special relations into a strategic long-term economic partnership by adopting a direct, transparent and time bound approach.

The two sides agreed to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate cooperation and partnership in areas encompassing trade, investment, economic development, energy, infrastructure and agriculture., with a view to accrue early dividends from the economic partnership.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the on-going defence and security cooperation, and resolved to explore further collaboration in the areas of training, joint exercises and defence production.

The prime minister thanked the UAE leadership for their continued commitment to Pakistan’s socio-economic development in the shape of Pakistan Assistance Programme. “Expressing satisfaction at the positive trajectory of relations, the two leaders agreed to take immediate measures to further elevate their historic partnership. They resolved to strengthen trade and economic ties and eliminate all impediments to seamless flow of trade and investment between the two countries,” announced the Foreign Office at the end of official meetings.

However, as was being speculated, there was no announcement of any specific economic assistance as the prime minister prepared to return home.

The Pakistan Assistance Programme (PAP) had been launched with the objective of providing help and humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan and support their development initiatives for a better future. Its mission is to execute development aid projects that offer sustainability and continuous benefits to beneficiaries over the long run.

In May this year, the UAE and Pakistan signed a $200 million cooperation agreement to execute Phase III of the PAP.

Imran Khan thanked Nahyan for his support to eradicate polio from Pakistan. Delegation level talks focused on all areas of bilateral, regional, and global interest.

“They expressed satisfaction over the fruitful outcome of the visit of the high-level UAE economic delegation to Pakistan recently and reiterated their resolve to transform the existing special relations into a Strategic Long-Term Economic Partnership by adopting a direct, transparent and time-bound approach,” added the Foreign Office

The two sides agreed to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate cooperation and partnership in areas encompassing trade, investment, economic development, energy, infrastructure and agriculture., with a view to accrue early dividends from the economic partnership.

Imran Khan and Muhammad bin Zayed decided to hold the next Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission, to be co-chaired by the respective foreign ministers, in Abu Dhabi in February 2019. They further reaffirmed their commitment to hold the senior officials’ bilateral political consultations between the foreign ministries and fast track finalisation of pending agreements at the earliest. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence and security cooperation, and resolved to explore further collaboration in the areas of training, joint exercises and defence production.

Imran Khan and the crown prince noted that a key element of partnership between the two countries was the complete identity of views on regional and global importance. They reiterated their strong belief that only by espousing the principles of tolerance, inclusivity, non-interference and focusing on a people centric development agenda the region can attain sustainable peace and stability. They strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and expressed their resolve to work closely to root out this scourge. The crown prince recognised the efforts and unparalleled sacrifices made by Pakistan to eliminate terrorism and extremism.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen their cooperation to deal with transnational organised crime, including drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking.

The prime minister lauded the progress achieved by the UAE in fostering tolerance, inclusive economic development, innovation, and youth and women empowerment. In particular, he appreciated the UAE’s success in promoting tourism, and leveraging technology for improved governance.

This was the second visit of the prime minister to the UAE in as many months.