Beijing: Pakistan on Wednesday told China there
was no let up in its fight against al-Qaeda and Taliban with
over 140,000 troops deployed against them, but said that more
could not be spared, claiming that the border with India is
"volatile".
In a presentation made for the top brass of the
People`s Liberation Army and senior Chinese officials on the
ongoing operations in its troubled northwest, Pakistan`s
ambassador to Beijing, Masood Khan claimed that Taliban and
other militants were regrouping with the active help of
foreign agencies.
Saying that the present fight was for the "soul and
ideology of Pakistan," Khan emphasised on the Chinese military
brass that "extra-regional forces should fully respect
sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of
Pakistan and Afghanistan."
He said, that indications were the war against
terrorism is going to be "a long haul" and to end this the
international community should stabilise the situation in
Afghanistan, both militarily and politically.
"Regional and extras-regional states must cease proxy
wars and incitement and abatement of insurgencies. The South
Asian region as a whole should address all outstanding issues,
especially the issue of Kashmir and water," the Ambassador
said in an apparent reference to India.
"Our security forces have been fighting terrorists,
consolidating military gains to avoid re-encroachment, and
helping rebuild shattered communities affected by anti-terror
operations," Khan was quoted as saying by a press release
issued by a Pakistani embassy here.
Year after year, our soldiers have laid down their
lives in order to create conditions of peace and stability in
our region. Even today, more than 140,000 troops are deployed
on the western border. But there are limitations to this
deployment if our eastern border is volatile," he added.
The Ambassador told the Chinese that more than 2,300
Pakistani troops had been killed in battles against the
militants and more than 6,500 have been injured.
For the first time, the Pakistani Ambassador referred
to militants from the Chinese troubled Xinjiang province,
saying that Islamabad and Beijing had taken a series of tough
measures to dismantle a network of East Turkestan Islamic
Movement (ETIM).
The reference to ETIM assumes importance as both China
and Pakistan have publicly avoided any reference to the
presence of these militants in camps in Pakistani soil.
Khan also said, a special task force had been created
to ensure safety and security of Chinese nationals and
businesses in Pakistan.
During the presentation, the Pakistani sought Chinese
military assistance for night vision equipment, communication
gear, transport helicopters, aircraft and UAVs. Khan also
sought Chinese help in training law enforcers and law
enforcement agencies.
Khan thanked China for providing valuable assistance
and consistent support for enhancing Pakistan’s defence
capability in all areas including army, navy, and air force.
PTI
