Imran Khan vows to strengthen Pak institutions, including judiciary

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that his government would extend all possible cooperation to strengthen the country's institutions, including judiciary, hours after the top court granted a six-month conditional extension to Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Khan made the comments while addressing the concluding session of the Envoys' Conference held here titled Engage Africa, according to Radio Pakistan.

"Foes of the country were expecting a clash between institutions in Pakistan, but they should know that the harmony that institutions enjoy today is unprecedented," a much-relieved Khan said. Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who headed a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Mazhar Alam Khan and Mansoor Ali Shah, granted the conditional extension to Bajwa, in a landmark case that shook the high echelons of power in a country that has been ruled for decades by the powerful military.

Khan said Pakistan's democracy has become mature, where institutions do not clash with one another and anti-Pakistan forces get defeated. He said his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has a history of 23 years' struggle for independence of the judiciary.

Talking about better engagement with the African countries, Prime Minister Khan said it is time to concentrate on this region and Pakistan's mission should utilize its full potential to bring investment and remittances to Pakistan and enhance exports. "We neglected the African continent, which reflects our mindset," he said.

Khan said now things have changed and the government is pursuing an independent foreign policy in the best interest of Pakistan. He emphasized improving the performance of the press attaches abroad for better communication to ensure a better understanding between Pakistan and other countries.

Khan said that now Pakistan is playing a role of reconciliation among various countries like Afghanistan. "We have better relations with all countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Malaysia," he said.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his address during the conference expressed commitment to developing a strong relationship with the African countries. During the conference, envoys to African countries and other experts discussed increasing trade and diplomatic ties with the African nations.