China’s enemy is Pakistan’s enemy, declares Pak minister
Phayul, 30 September 2011
DHARAMSHALA, September 30: Pakistan this week sought to deepen ties with its “time tested friend” China after the recent souring of relations with the US over allegations that Islamabad was supporting Afghan insurgents based in Pakistan’s tribal regions.
The Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, in a strong show of support for Beijing after a meeting with visiting Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu declared that “China’s enemies were Pakistan’s enemies” and vowed to attack “Chinese militants hiding in Pakistan.”
“Pakistan would never allow anyone to use its land against China,” Malik told reporters while referring to the small community of ethnic Uyghurs living in Pakistan.
China had for the first time this August blamed Pakistani terror camps of training what it calls “Uyghur militants.”
Pakistan is home to around 1,000 Uyghur families living as exiles in small scattered communities in the northern region of the nation. Most of the Uyghurs had left China during the 1950s and 60s fearing persecution.
Pakistan has reportedly deported ethnic Uyghurs on a regular basis while knowing that the deportees were at risk of facing torture.
Omer Khan, founder of the Omer Uyghur Foundation in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad told reporters following the deportation of five ethnic Uyghurs this year that deportation was “common” but exposure to the media was “very rare.”
During Meng’s visit, the two sides reportedly signed $250 million in economic and technical agreements.