ISLAMABAD – The outgoing year saw a lot of changes in Pakistan from generalelections to turbulent ties with the US.
The year began with a US President Donald Trump’s tweet threateningPakistan to cut aid for allegedly lying to the US and offering ‘littlehelp’ in hunting ‘terrorists’ in Afghanistan.
‘The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than $33 billion inaid over last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit,thinking of our leaders as fools,’ Trump said.
In response, the then Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, calleda meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) in which deepdisappointment was expressed over Trump’s comments.
It said in a statement that recent remarks by the US leadership ‘werecompletely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struckwith great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built overgenerations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistanination’.
Pakistan’s military warned the US against the possibility of takingunilateral action against armed groups on its soil.
In February Chiefs of Defense Conference was held in Kabul where PakistanArmy Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said ‘Pakistan doesn’t allow its soilto be used against any country’.
The conference was attended by top US commander in Afghanistan Gen JohnNicholson, Commander US Central Command (Centcom) Gen Joseph Votel and thearmy chiefs of Afghanistan and central Asian republics Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
In March of the outgoing year elections to the Senate of Pakistan wereheld. Later Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani was elected as 8th Chairman of theSenate.
In March while giving a policy statement in the National Assembly, the thenForeign Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan would not serve as a proxyfor the United States in any war.
In the same month the then Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had ameeting with US Vice President Michael Pence in Washington to find anegotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan.
Major development took place in Pakistan in May when the twenty-fifthamendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was approved by the Parliamentgiving way to the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)into the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
In June the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Friday formally placedPakistan on the grey list due to ‘strategic deficiencies’ in its anti-moneylaundering.
On 6 July Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz andson-in-law Safdar Awan were given prison sentences of 10, 7 and 1 yearsrespectfully on controversial corruption charges.
On 10 July -a suicide bombing at a political rally of the Awami NationalParty in Peshawar left 22 people dead.
On July 13 Two suicide bombings, one in Bannu and one in Mastung, left 5and 131 people dead respectively. The former targeted the vehicle of formerKPK Chief Minister Akram Durrani, while the latter targeted a politicalrally of the Balochistan Awami Party.
On July 25 Pakistani general elections were held and in the result PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) under its chairman Imran Khan won the elections. Onsame day a suicide bombing at a polling station in Quetta left 31 peopledead.
In August Pakistan’s parliament elected Imran Khan as new prime ministerafter his party swept the general elections.
During the same month US cut military training program for Pakistan.
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On 4 September Pakistani presidential election were held and Dr Arif Alvibecame new President of the country.
In September India called off a meeting between the Pakistani and Indianforeign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA), just a day after confirming the development.
In the same month US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford visited Pakistan which was anattempt to end stalemate between Pak-US ties.
In October Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi traveled to US where hemet with US National Security Adviser (NSA) John Bolton and US Secretary ofState Michael Pompeo.
In the month Pakistan and Russian armies held joint military drills showingstrengthening of ties between the two states.
In October Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia to attend the‘Future Investment Initiative’ (FII) conference. Foreign Minister ShahMehmood Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Finance MinisterAsad Umar also accompanied the premier on his visit.
In November Pakistani police repelled an armed attack on the Chineseconsulate in Karachi, suffering two casualties.
In the same month a suicide bombing in Orazkai District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwakilled 33.
In November US President Donald Trump’s tweet that Pakistan does not do “adamn thing” for the US drew a strong reaction from the Pakistanipoliticians. Prime Minister Imran Khan reacting to the tweet said the USwas making Pakistan scapegoat of its failure.
During the month Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan visited China leadinga high level delegation to further improve ties between the two countriesand discuss China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
In the same month Pakistan and India agreed to open Kartarpur corridor forthe facilitation of Sikh pilgrims. The move was welcomed internationallywhich could lead to end tensions between the two countries.
In the month of November Deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Republic ofIran’s Army, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, visited Pakistan to lead anIranian delegation at four-day 10th International Defense Exhibition andseminar, IDEAS 2018 in Karachi.
In December Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Syed AbbasAraghchi visited Pakistan to participate in the tenth round ofIran-Pakistan Political Consultations in Islamabad.
During the same month US President Donald Trump had written a letter toPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking Islamabad’s support in securinga ‘negotiated settlement’ to the war in Afghanistan.
In the same month Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visitedEgypt and Qatar to enhance defense cooperation.
In December Turkish Defence Minister General (retd) Hulusi Akar and TurkishInterior Minister Süleyman Soylu visited Pakistan separately and heldimportant meetings with Pakistani civil and military leadership to enhancebilateral cooperation especially in defense sector.
