New Delhi: A meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, and members of the anti-Chinese Communist Party lobby in the US has sparked widespread controversy in Pakistan. While Pakistan’s foreign ministry has distanced itself from the meeting, experts and analysts are worried.
This diplomatic rift is sensitive, as Pakistan heavily relies on China for economic support. The China-backed 22nd IMF deal in 2024 and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are crucial for Pakistan.
The minister, who was attending a special dinner at the Lincoln Liberty Ball in Washington, has found himself at the centre of a political storm. He has been accused of undermining Pakistan’s longstanding ties with China.
Naqvi’s engagement with the “New Federal State of China” (NFSC) — a political movement aimed at overthrowing the CCP, led by exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui and former US strategist Steve Bannon — has raised serious concerns among analysts.
Former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi questioned why Pakistan’s foreign minister was not leading the diplomatic mission instead of an interior minister.
“What is going on? Here the foreign minister chairs economic committees while the interior minister is sent to Washington DC on a so-called diplomatic mission,” she wrote on X.
The NFSC, a far-Right group, has been involved in pushing conspiracy theories and anti-China rhetoric. Its members have been linked to efforts to destabilise Chinese interests globally. Launched on 4 June 2020, in New York City, the group presents itself as a “government in exile” for China.
The movement has gained attention for its aggressive anti-CCP rhetoric, spread through various media channels, rallies, email campaigns, and flyers. However, its use of conspiracy theories and misinformation has raised alarms, with critics often questioning Guo’s motives.
Stuck between deep sea and the devil
On social media, many Pakistanis voiced their displeasure. Some denounced Naqvi’s actions, suggesting that his meeting reflected a broader disconnect between Pakistan’s domestic policies and its foreign relations. PTI supporter Afzal Khan Sherwani described the meeting as a betrayal of Pakistan’s “people-to-people relationship” with China.
“We, the people of Pakistan, are not happy with Mr. Naqvi’s (nicknamed “dictators urine”) meeting with an anti-China lobbyist group. In any case, China should discourage the current dual faced, unreliable friend/enemy and declare the “DECEIVER” man controlling Pakistan as Army Chief,” he wrote on X.
Adding fuel to the fire, some commentators aimed at Pakistan’s military leadership, suggesting that the interior minister’s actions were reflective of deeper shifts in the country’s allegiances. Human rights activist Zar Ali Khan Afridi lamented that Pakistan seemed to be caught between competing geopolitical interests.
“Pakistan is stuck between the deep sea and the devil. Pakistan has lost its credibility. Pakistan deceived #US and befriended China. Now Pak is attending meetings against China,” Afridi wrote on X.
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China-Pakistan relations
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s long-term development strategy, though the relationship has been increasingly strained by issues such as debt repayments and security concerns over Chinese workers in the country.
The backlash over Naqvi’s meeting also coincides with growing discomfort within Pakistan over its dual-facing foreign policy. Pakistan’s largest international airport, funded and constructed by China in Balochistan’s Gwadar, started operations last week after months of delay and amid heavy security in the violence-prone region.
The Pakistani foreign ministry has distanced itself from the incident, with a statement clarifying that the meeting was “personal” adding that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not process this”.
Shehzad Qazi, managing director of China Beige Book, a data company for Chinese policies summed up the situation on X: “Desi uncles will do anything for free booze. But seriously, what a clown show of a govt.”