ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday its relations with key longtime ally China would remain “unaffected” by Donald Trump winning the US presidential election, as Islamabad walks a diplomatic tightrope between the two global powers.
Pakistan maintains a delicate balance in its relations with China and the US. While aligned with the US for military cooperation and counter-terrorism efforts, Pakistan has strengthened economic ties with Washington’s rival China through initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Washington and Beijing’s ties remain strained as they compete for global influence, with the US seeking to maintain its dominance and China aiming to expand its reach. The two countries are often embroiled in disagreements over trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
This complex rivalry impacts Pakistan as it navigates its strategic partnerships with both world powers while grappling with a prolonged economic crisis.
“Pakistan’s relations with China are all-weather,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during a weekly press briefing when asked if Trump’s victory will affect the country’s China policy.
“They are strategic and a source of stability in our foreign policy.”
Baloch said Islamabad does not even need to consider the possibility that its relationship with China will be affected by any domestic development in another country.
She stressed that Pakistan’s relations with China have grown and expanded over the last several decades, emphasizing that the relationship remained immune to developments around the world.
Baloch dismissed claims that President-elect Trump could influence Pakistan’s politics as speculative, emphasizing that Pakistan and the US were “old friends” maintaining relations based on mutual respect, confidence, and non-interference.
In response to another question, the spokesperson said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already congratulated President-elect Trump on his presidential election win.
“Our relations with the United States are decades old, and we look forward to further strengthen and broaden Pakistan-US relationship in all fields,” she added. “As the Deputy Prime Minister said in a tweet yesterday, we look forward to fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and the United States.”
Pakistan and the US cultivated strong defense ties during the Cold War days yet their relationship was also tested by divergent priorities on various issues.
However, tensions between the two countries escalated, particularly after 9/11, when US officials criticized Pakistan for not sufficiently supporting the American military efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Washington and Islamabad’s ties were further strained as the former suspected the latter of supporting the Taliban in its 2021 takeover of Kabul, allegations which Islamabad rejected. Tensions rose further in 2022 when former PM Imran Khan accused the Biden administration of orchestrating his ouster via a parliamentary vote, a charge the US denied.
Pakistan, under Shehbaz Sharif’s two separate stints as prime minister in 2022 and 2024, has made attempts to improve its ties with the US.
Pakistan says Trump election as US president won’t affect China ties
https://arab.news/5ru69
Pakistan says Trump election as US president won’t affect China ties
- FO spokesperson says Pakistan wants to strengthen and broaden relationship with US
- Says Pakistan and US maintain ties via mutual respect, confidence and non-interference
Pakistani legislator says tax authority open to reviewing high smartphone import levies
- Current tax regime adds substantial cost to imported phones, making devices hard to afford
- Calls for reform have grown in recent months alongside the wider debate on digital inclusion
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may be open to lowering the high import taxes charged on smartphones, a move that could reduce device prices for millions of users, after a legislator campaigning for reform said on Tuesday the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would not oppose a reduction if the ministry of finance’s Tax Policy Office recommended one.
Imported phones in Pakistan are subject to heavy duties, sales tax and registration fees that can add hundreds of dollars to the final price, with high-end devices often costing significantly more than their retail value abroad. The government has long argued the levy is designed to regulate imports and curb grey-market phones, but critics say the policy restricts digital access, education and e-commerce for ordinary citizens.
Member of Parliament Kasim Gilani has been publicly challenging the tax regime for weeks.
“Chairman FBR has stated that if the Tax Policy Office of the Finance Ministry recommends a reduction in PTA tax, FBR will have no objection to rationalizing the tax percentage. A major development for smartphone users across Pakistan,” Gilani posted on X.
https://x.com/KasimGillani/status/1998356129735426552?s=20
The government, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and FBR have not yet issued a public confirmation of Gilani’s X post.
The so-called PTA tax, widely referred to by consumers using the name of the national telecom regulator, is in practice a series of federal charges collected on imported devices, particularly those brought into Pakistan from abroad or by returning expatriates. Registration fees for users who activate foreign-purchased phones locally can also significantly raise costs.
Calls for reform have grown in recent months alongside the wider debate on digital inclusion. Pakistan’s population is overwhelmingly young, with over 60 percent under the age of 30, and smartphones are now central to banking, online education and gig-economy work. Reducing the levy could expand access to Internet-enabled devices, but it could also reduce revenue unless phased or redesigned.
No formal reduction has been announced yet, and any change would require approval from the ministry of finance and relevant tax bodies. However, Gilani’s statement suggests a potential shift if policymakers conclude that lower duties could boost adoption, compliance and long-term digital growth.
