Pakistan's friends concerned over increasing political instability in country: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 18 (ANI): Pakistan's friends are getting concerned over the increasing political instability in the country, Pakistan based The Express Tribune reported.
Diplomatic sources familiar with the development told The Express Tribune that China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular are worried about the deteriorating political stability in Pakistan.
Chinese foreign minister during his recent maiden trip to Pakistan, publicly expressed concerns over the current political situation and stressed the need for reaching a consensus to deal with the crisis.
The Chinese foreign minister was in Pakistan on May 5 and 6 on his first visit to Islamabad.
The top Chinese diplomat during a meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, expressed his worries about Pakistan's increasing instability, telling the country to overcome political differences to pave the way for economic progress.
"We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic [as well as] external challenges so it can focus on growing the economy," Qin said, according to The Express Tribune.
This was unusual on the part of China, which usually works behind the scenes to convey its concerns on any issue.
According to reports, the UAE president in a telephonic conversation with the Pakistani army chief called for unity in the country, a subtle message to resolve issues through talks.
It is believed that Saudi Arabia is also keen to seek some semblance of political stability returning to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, The News International recently reported that Pakistan's so-called 'geostrategic location' now stands as a relic of a bygone era despite once being considered a gateway between the West and the East.
Pakistan has been struggling to keep pace with the shifting tides of global power and influence and Islamabad finds itself isolated from the global arena. Children in Pakistan are taught about Pakistan's geostrategic position as Islamabad used to get an extraordinary amount of benefits by being located in this specific zone, as per the news report. (ANI)