Asked whether China is concerned about safety of hundreds of its personnel working on CPEC amid reports that Pakistan has cancelled flights to areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) due to “air space restrictions” in the wake of Uri terrorist attack, Lu said, “the Chinese side is concerned about the tension in Kashmir”. Separatist leaders in the Himalayan valley have been demanding independence, but both India and Pakistan stake a claim to the region.
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He said it is “shocking” that a leader of a nation can “glorify a self-declared self-advertised terrorist” at a forum such as the United Nations General Assembly. Sharif described Wani as a “young leader murdered by Indian forces” who has become the “symbol of the latest Kashmiri intifada”.
Briefing reporters a day after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit and issued a demarche over the Uri attack, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said “irrefutable evidence” was shown to the envoy that points to the involvement of Pak-based groups and individuals or territory under Pakistan control.
“So, Pakistan in real effect is not a threat to peace in the subcontinent, but actually a threat to humanity of a much larger scale.” he clarified.
He further said that China holds a consistent position on anti-terrorism. Sunday’s attack was “part of a trail of continuous flow of terrorists trained and armed by our neighbor”, she said, accusing Pakistan of being a “terrorist state”, financing, training and supporting terror groups, sometimes with interntional aid money.
Indian forces killed at least 8 suspected Islamic militants along the 800 kilometre border with Pakistan, ahead of Sharif’s rambling speech on Wednesday to the UN General Assembly.
What we see in Pakistan, Mr. President, is a terrorist state, which channelizes billions of dollars, much of it diverted from worldwide aid, to training, financing and supporting terrorist groups as militant proxies against it neighbours. Talks between the two countries have repeatedly stalled over India’s demands for more information on the attack’s planners, but Pakistan says the Kashmir issue needs to be solved first.
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Congressman Ted Poe (Republican), the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, along with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (Republican) on Tuesday introduced the Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act.
