Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, while indicating Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s stance on the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute, has offered to help improve deteriorating relations between its two South Asian neighbors.
The US has also expressed its strong concern overe violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where security forces have killed more than 100 civilians and an attack on Indian army base resulted in deaths of more than a dozen soldiers.
Keqiang met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, reaffirming to stand by its neighbor.
According to a statement issued by Pakistani Mission to the UN, the Chinese leadder said Pakista has been a victim of terror and that Beijing would for Islamabad at every forum.
“We attach a great importance to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir. Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. We hope that the situation between India and Pakistan will not escalate. We also hope that there will be better understanding of Pakistani position on Kashmir by the international community,” the Chinese leader said, according to a readout of the meeting.
“We are ready to play constructive role in improvement of relations between Pakistan and India,” Kequiang added.
In South Asia both New Delhi and Islamabad traded accusatioins of being abetting terror against each other. India held Pakistan responsible for the attack on military base in Uri area of the disputed Kashmir territory while Pakistan has accused India of perpetrating state terror on Kashmiri people.
For its part, the United Nations has offered to mediate between the two countries and the UN Human Rights Commission has called for an independent probe into killings in Kashmir, which remains under curfew.
Last month, Indian Prime Ministere Narendra Modi openly threatened Pakistan with fomenting insurgency and trouble in Pakistan’s Balochistan – a southwestern province where China is operating its strategic Gwadar deepsea port.
Washington has refused to back Modi on Balochistan, saying it is part of Pakistan.
However, Pakistan has not been able to find much expressions of support on the Capitol Hill, where two lawmakers this week introduced a bill to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terror for its alleged backing of the Afghan Taliban including the Haqqanis.
But during the meeting, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized that Pakistan has dismantled infrastructure of terror networks and remains committed to fighting terror for peace and security of the region.
