Abdul Hadi Mayar Islamabad
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 was stated by Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at her weekly press briefing on Thursday.
She said, “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.”
Baloch categorically said that “as iron brothers and strategic partners, 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.’
“As my Chinese counterpart said, attempts to undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries will not succeed,” Baloch reiterated.
“We will not allow any efforts or stories to derail the Pakistan-China Strategic Partnership.”
About security of CPEC, Baloch said that Pakistan has raised a security force to protect the CPEC projects in Pakistan and this security apparatus continues to provide security to the CPEC projects inside Pakistan.
Answering a question about relations with the United States, particularly in the wake of the US Presidential Election, the spokesperson said, “Pakistan and the United States have a long history of friendly relations, and it is in our mutual interest to continue to build on this relationship on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest, and on the basis of non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs.”
“We consider United States an old friend and partner of Pakistan. We hope that going forward, this relationship will continue to prosper,” she elaborated.
Answering a volley of questions regarding the abuse of Afghan territory by terror networks against Pakistan, the spokesperson said, “it is incumbent on the Afghan authorities to take action against these terror groups.”
“Support for these terror groups by any entity, individual, whether official or private, is unacceptable for Pakistan,” Baloch said urging the Afghan authorities to take Pakistan’s repeated requests seriously and take effective and immediate action against these terror groups.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s serious concerns about the plight of Kashmiri political prisoners.
She said any detainees are enduring inhuman conditions in jails, including confinement in overcrowded cells, denial of necessary medical care and continued detention without due process.
“We urge the Indian authorities to drop fabricated charges against all political prisoners, activists and human rights defenders and release them immediately.”
