By Abid Usman
ISLAMABAD: Former foreign secretary Riaz Hussain Khokhar has said that the present world order is at stake due to the coronavirus pandemic and the new world order is apparently starting to take shape with China taking the lead. Pakistan however should not opt to pillion-ride with China on every issue and must engage in skillful balancing of its relations with other important countries as well.
He shared these thoughts in a webinar titled ‘Impact of Covid-19 on Pakistan’s International Relations at Regional and Global Levels’. The online session was organized by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad, as part of its ongoing webinar series ‘Covid-19: Global Challenges, National Response’.
The discussion was jointly chaired by former secretary finance Dr Waqar Masood Khan and Executive President IPS Khalid Rahman, whereas the discussants included IPS’ senior research associate Ambassador (R) Tajammul Altaf, IPS’ senior research fellow, Syed Muhammad Ali and Ambassador (r) Ayaz Wazir.
Regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, Riaz Khokhar stated that Pakistan’s friendship with China has once again withstood the test of time. This strong relationship could also prove vital in bringing much-needed reforms to the weak health infrastructure in the country as well as the vulnerable sectors of education, agriculture, science and technology, and environment, which have been exposed in the wake of the pandemic.
