Commending Pakistan’s contribution to the international counter-terrorism cause, Beijing on Friday backed Islamabad’s efforts to combat terrorist forces and safeguard national and regional peace and security.
“China opposes terrorism in all manifestations and any double standard on counter-terrorism,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian while responding to a question about Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar’s press conference on Indian-sponsored terrorism last week.
He called on the international community, especially regional countries, to carry out counter-terrorism cooperation and safeguard collective security.
Later, in a tweet, Zhao said China appreciated the “positive contribution by Pakistan to the international counter-terrorism cause” and “firmly supports Pakistan in cracking down terrorist forces”.
On China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he asserted that any attempt to sabotage the project is doomed to fail.
“CPEC is a major pioneering project of the Belt and Road Initiative,” he said during the daily press briefing. “It is of great significance to not only the common development of China and Pakistan but also regional connectivity and common prosperity.”
Zhao said Beijing was “confident that with the support from the international community, China and Pakistan will ensure the smooth and successful building and running of CPEC”.
“Meanwhile, we believe that any attempt to disrupt the building of CPEC would be foiled eventually,” he added.
India’s blame-game
On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi blamed Pakistan, without providing evidence, for backing suspected militants who threw grenades in Pulwama district on Thursday, injuring 12 civilians.
Islamabad rubbished the allegations, stating that they were “desperate attempts to divert international attention from its state-terrorism in IIOJK and state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan”.
The Foreign Office said that it was obvious India had accelerated its anti-Pakistan propaganda after its state sponsorship of terrorism had been exposed by Islamabad in a dossier.
Read more: Pakistan asks UN anti-terror bodies to proceed against India on basis of evidence
Pakistan exposes India in a fresh dossier
Last week, Pakistan presented a detailed dossier containing evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism being carried out in Pakistan.