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Poor Choice of Words Criticized: PM Kakar Draws Flak for Likening Pakistan-China Relations to Israel-US Relations

Pakistan forbids any New Year's Eve festivities

Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar faced widespread criticism, particularly from PTI activists, for his recent remarks in which he seemed to draw a parallel between China’s robust partnership with Pakistan and the support the US provides to Israel, with many deeming his language as “astonishingly inappropriate.”

This backlash on social media occurred a day after the prime minister made this comparison during his address at the Council on Foreign Relations while attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly in the United States.

During an interview at the 55:30-minute mark, Prime Minister Kakar commented, “Pakistan shares a strategic alliance with China. We want to emphasize that there are those who might describe Pakistan as China’s equivalent of Israel.”He then elaborated on this comparison, suggesting it might resonate better with an American audience, stating, “It’s possibly a more apt analogy for the United States because you understand and appreciate the significance of Israel in the context of your country.”These remarks were made in response to a question posed by one of the interview attendees, who inquired about the current state of Pakistan-China relations.

Prime Minister Kakar went on to highlight the shared interests and concerns of both neighboring countries, emphasizing their common ground on various issues such as the One-China policy and China’s positions on matters related to Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

It’s worth noting that some observers have suggested that this statement may have drawn inspiration from a quote attributed to Chinese General Xiong Guangkai, which appears in the introduction of Andrew Small’s book, “The China Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics.”


In a post on X (formerly Twitter), former PTI MPA Taimur Khan Jhagra questioned, “Why should we aspire for our nation to emulate ‘China’s Israel’? Why can’t we simply define Pakistan on its own merits and strive to create a prosperous model for the world to admire?”


He remarked, “Using such astonishingly inappropriate language to draw parallels between Pakistan and an apartheid state that Pakistan doesn’t even acknowledge is deeply troubling.”

Faisal Amin Khan, a member of PTI and the brother of party leader Ali Amin Gandapur, commented, “Drawing a comparison between your own country and a powerful nation like Israel is not a wise move.”

Highlighting the potential connection to Small’s book, he suggested that it appeared the prime minister may have perused the book “during his journey to New York.”


Simplifying PM Kakar’s comments, PTI activist Virk Shahzaib shared on his X account, “The interim PM suggests that Pakistan holds a similar role for China as Israel does for the US.”

He strongly criticized this analogy, stating, “Using any comparison that likens Pakistan to Israel is utterly condemnable and lacks justification from any perspective.”

Hammad Azhar, a PTI leader who is currently not in the public eye, called on the prime minister to issue an apology and “retract his statement,” emphasizing, “To equate Pakistan with Israel, a nation that was established through the forcible takeover of another people’s land and sustained itself through oppression and violence, is an affront.”

In the midst of this discussion, journalists and legal professionals also weighed in on the matter.

Anwar Iqbal, Dawn’s correspondent based in the United States, posed a question on X: “What is the intended message here?”


DawnNewsTV host Adil Shahzeb expressed astonishment upon hearing PM Kakar’s words, which were quoted directly from the book.


Supreme Court lawyer Zahid F. Ebrahim remarked, “I had not anticipated higher standards from Mr. Kakar. However, I had expected a more principled stance from Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.”

He added, “The interim foreign minister should have strongly opposed this unnecessarily extravagant overseas trip by the caretaker prime minister.”


Another lawyer, Dr. Alizaan, provided clarification, stating, “He is not referring to the conduct or obligations of any specific state (Israel or Pakistan); instead, he is attempting to illustrate that, much like Israel enjoys favored status with the US, Pakistan does with China.”

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