Thaindian News

Beijing, March 7 (IANS) Terrorists trained in Pakistan will not affect the friendship between Beijing and Islamabad, said an official Wednesday.

A top official from China’s northwest Xinjiang Wednesday said violent activities by individual terrorists will not affect the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan as the situation in the region is stable and under control, reported Xinhua.

Militants trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan set fire to a restaurant and randomly killed civilians in Xinjiang’s Kashgar in July last year, leaving six civilians dead and 15 injured.

An investigation found that the group’s leaders had learned how to make explosives and firearms in camps of the terrorist group “East Turkistan Islamic Movement” in Pakistan before entering Xinjiang to organise terrorist activities.

Nur Bekri, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, said China and Pakistan are all-weather friends, and Xinjiang and neighbouring countries share the interests and objectives in fighting terrorism.

“Anti-terrorism is a global task, as terrorism is threatening the lives of all people in the world,” Bekri, a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), said at the ongoing annual session of parliament.

He said international cooperation is needed to combat terror.

“The Pakistani government has also expressed the willingness to maintain China’s sovereignty and core interests in fighting terrorism against China,” Bekri said.

Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to China’s Muslim Uygur ethnic people.