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Thursday, August 25, 2011
No rift with China over terrorist threat, says Khar
* FM says Pakistan has no interest for its territory to be used by any non-state actors against any other country
BEIJING: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said there is no rift between Islamabad and Beijing over fighting militants, and cast doubt on the reports about a Pakistan link to the Kashgar attack.
“The statement vis-à-vis Pakistan’s involvement in Kashgar attack of any sort was misconstrued, was not from the Chinese government,” she told a news conference on Wednesday after a two-day trip to Beijing.
“Does it (ETIM) have any base in Pakistan? We don’t know,” she said, adding that her government would cooperate with China to eradicate such threats. “We have a wide history of cooperating with the Chinese people to be able to dismantle this group or its presence in any form,” she said. China and Pakistan call each other “all-weather friends”, their ties underpinned by shared wariness of their common neighbour, India, and a desire to balance US influence.
The Pakistan minister’s comments underscored their determination to set aside any potential public discord. Pakistan does not want to be used as a base for militant groups and needs the world’s understanding as it tries to handle its problems, the foreign minister said. Hina said that she wanted to further bolster ties with China, which has been Pakistan’s main supporter. Chinese officials have blamed extremists trained in Pakistan for deadly attacks in the far west region of Xinjiang last month.
“Pakistan just seeks the world’s understanding for the current challenges that Pakistan is going through.... we are the ones and our people are the ones that are paying the price who are experiencing the brunt of it,” said Hina, who was named foreign minister about five weeks ago. Hina, who held talks with her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and met Premier Wen Jiabao, said Pakistan did not want militant groups. “We have made it clear to our neighbours and we make it clear again that Pakistan has no interest for its territory to be used by any non-state actors against any other country,” she said. Islamabad is struggling to deal with the Pakistani Taliban and their affiliates, which seek to topple Pakistan’s pro-Western government and install a hardline Islamist regime.
Their anti-American rhetoric, combined with ineffective and corrupt government in Pakistan, means the militants have some support in the country. Hina said Pakistan was increasing its counter-terrorism cooperation with China. Last month, about 20 people were killed in violence in the far western city of Kashgar in Xinjiang, and Chinese authorities said one attack was carried out by militants trained in weapons and bomb-making at camps run by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement in Pakistan.
Security has been tight across Xinjiang since 2009 when almost 200 people were killed in fighting between majority Han Chinese and the Uighur (pronounced WEE’-gur) ethnic group. Uighurs say they face employment and religious discrimination. China says all ethnic groups are treated equally and government investment and aid have dramatically raised living standards.
Xinjiang is China’s Central Asian frontier, bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and other countries. Kashgar was an important hub on the ancient route through which Chinese silk and other goods reached Europe. Khar, 35, who was appointed foreign minister last month, held talks Wednesday with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and her counterpart Yang Jiechi.
During talks, Yang voiced appreciation for Pakistan’s support of China’s “core interests”, including issues related to Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.
Yang further said China will continue to stand by Islamabad in safeguarding Pakistan’s national stability and economic development. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk