From Mahnoor Makhdoom
BEIJING: A delegation of Pakistani youth recently visited Urumqi, Kashgar, and Atush in Xinjiang and engaged in in-depth exchanges with local people of all ethnic groups and experienced the actual situation of social stability, economic development, improvement of people’s livelihood, religious harmony, cultural prosperity, and thriving tourism in Xinjiang.
“All ethnic groups in Xinjiang live in harmony and enjoy the beauty of various cultures. You can always see people dancing together happily, and I feel that the life of Xinjiang people is sweeter than honey,” stated Hina Pervaiz Butt, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N.
The delegation visited several villages in Atush and learned about the development of rural tourism.
“The villages in Xinjiang are so beautiful; the villagers’ courtyards are clean, neat, and well-decorated. I think people here are full of confidence in their future development. Xinjiang is developing rapidly with convenient transportation and well-developed city clusters,” said Qasim Qamar, an official from Sindh Province, who visited Xinjiang eight years ago.
The delegation experienced the vitality of Xinjiang’s high-quality economic development after visiting the Kashgar Comprehensive Free Trade Zone and Urban Planning Hall of Urumqi Cultural Center. Covering 180 square kilometers, the Xinjiang pilot FTZ has been granted more autonomy to implement reforms and attract investments.
“China deems it necessary to contribute to building a golden channel between Asia and the West. Predictions suggest that the FTZ will create opportunities for Central Asia, West Asia, and South Asia. Pakistan, as the home of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and a close ally of China, is uniquely positioned to reap the benefits of the FTZ and Xinjiang, said Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, one of the delegation members and a political economist.
“The Chinese government is focusing on preserving culture, enhancing people’s skills, and providing education in religious studies,” Shakeel said during his visit to a state-of-the-art madrassa for the Muslim community in Urumqi. After visiting an exhibition on the fight against terrorism and deradicalization in Xinjiang, members of the delegation expressed their support for Xinjiang’s efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
“What we saw in Xinjiang is that people’s livelihoods are improving, people are experiencing the benefits of the modernization drive, and Muslims and other communities live together peacefully. We would like to show the real and beautiful Xinjiang to more people,” said Shakeel.
