FO terms reports of China seeking joint security for its citizens in Pakistan ‘agenda-driven’

The Foreign Office (FO) Thursday rejected recent reports of China pushing Islamabad to join security efforts for its citizen living in Pakistan, terming them as “speculations” and “agenda-driven”.

The development comes after Reuters, citing sources, reported on Tuesday that Beijing was pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working in the South Asian nation, during talks after a car bombing in Karachi that was seen as a major security breach.

“I would not like to respond to media speculations that are based on unreliable sources and motivated by an agenda to create confusion about the nature of Pakistan-China relationship. We advise the media to ascertain the motives of individuals who are feeding them such stories.

“Pakistan and China have a robust dialogue and cooperation on a range of issues, including counter terrorism and security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan. This dialogue is based on mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation and respect for each other’s sovereignty. We will continue to work with our Chinese brothers for safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while answering media queries after the weekly briefing.

Last month’s airport bombing in the southern port city that killed two Chinese engineers returning to work on a project after a holiday in Thailand was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing’s interests in Pakistan.

The attacks angered China, which pushed Pakistan to begin formal negotiations for a joint security management system, Reuters reported.

“Pakistan and China have the resolve and capability to foil any attempts to harm Pakistan-China relations, including by spreading stories about the nature of this relationship which is based on mutual trust, mutual confidence and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the spokesperson says.

China and Pakistan have the determination and ability to thwart all attempts to undermine China-Pakistan relations and make terrorists pay the price, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference in Beijing on Monday.

“As my Chinese counterpart said, attempts to undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries will not succeed. We will not allow any efforts or stories to derail the Pakistan-China Strategic Partnership,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch added.

Afghanistan must act against terror groups

Meanwhile, Islamabad also urged the Afghanistan’s interim government to take concrete and decisive action against the groups or individuals involved in terror activities in Pakistan and cautioned that they should not test the patience of the Pakistani people.

The FO spokesperson urged the Afghan authorities to take Pakistan’s repeated requests seriously and ensure that action is taken against these terror groups.

“The patience of Pakistani people must not be tested concerning the terror threat we continue to face from entities and individuals in Afghanistan,” she said.

The FO spokesperson told reporters that not only Pakistan but the Moscow Format and Neighboring Countries Format states had also urged the Afghan authorities to act against such groups and ensure that their soil is not used against Pakistan or any neighbouring countries.

Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s concerns about the plight of Kashmiri political prisoners, as a sizable number of the prisoners remain incarcerated outside Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Many of them were enduring inhuman conditions in jails, including confinement in overcrowded cells, denial of necessary medical care, and continued detention without due process, she added.

“We urge the Indian authorities to drop fabricated charges against all political prisoners, activists, and human rights defenders and release them immediately.

“Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic, and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute following UN Security Council resolutions,” she stated.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan welcomed the resolution adopted by the Arab-Islamic Summit in which the leaders endorsed the collective call on the UN Security Council by a group of countries, including Pakistan, to impose an arms embargo on Israel, sanctions, and suspension of Israel’s participation in the UN given its illegal actions and threat to international peace and security.

“We urge the international community to heed this call and uphold international law, safeguard human rights, and protect the people of Palestine,” the spokesperson remarked.

She told the media that the Russian President’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov would visit Pakistan on the day and call on Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and hold detailed discussions with Additional Foreign Secretary Afghanistan and West Asia, Ambassador Ahmed Nasim Warraich.

The two sides will review the Afghanistan situation and discuss neighbouring countries’ role in promoting regional peace and stability.