Rana Mashhood: “India Should Come to Pakistan to Play, Defeating Them Here is a Unique Experience”

Lahore: Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program Punjab, Rana Mashhood, has invited India to come to Pakistan to play, stating that defeating them on Pakistani soil offers a unique thrill.
Speaking to the media at the Aiwan-i-Iqbal in Lahore, Mashhood remarked, “I would tell India that their reputation was never great, and it is only getting worse now. Pakistan is a more peaceful country than India. If there are any issues here, it is due to agents like Kulbhushan Jadhav that India sends to our country. India should come and play here; defeating them in Pakistan is a different kind of pleasure.”
He further discussed Pakistan’s current challenges, attributing the country’s economic struggles to the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “The situation in Pakistan is challenging. Our economy was devastated due to the IMF’s policies. However, in 2016, Nawaz Sharif ended Pakistan’s reliance on the IMF. We hope that Pakistan will present its next budget without IMF assistance,” Mashhood stated.
On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he mentioned, “CPEC, which was supposed to start in 2014, only began in 2016. While we don’t want to engage in conflicts, we want to move forward with all nations, and we won’t let anyone harm our country’s environment.”
Mashhood also highlighted the issue of climate change, particularly smog, as one of Pakistan’s biggest challenges. He pointed out, “What we are facing today is not a result of anything Pakistan has done. The world needs to recognize that the actions of other nations are directly affecting us. We need to clean our societies and regions, and we are partnering with volunteer organizations to tackle this.”
He concluded by stressing the importance of presenting Pakistan’s positive and soft image to the world. “No society can move forward without training its youth. A National Youth Council board has been formed, and we have selected 100 boys and girls from across Pakistan. We are launching this program by the end of January.”