Pakistan foreign minister dials Chinese counterpart as PM Modi visits Leh; raises Kashmir

Amid growing border tension between India and China, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. As per reports, both the leaders raked up the Kashmir issue and the situation in Afghanistan.

Alleging that India is imperiling peace in the region, Qureshi, during his telephonic conversation with Wang, underscored that the regional security situation was deteriorating. “In the face of Indian provocations, Pakistan was exercising restraint,” he said. He also accused India of committing ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). Moreover, blatantly interfering into india's internal matter, Quereshi also raised J&K's new domicile laws in his discussion with Wang Yi. 

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Underscoring that Pakistan and China are ‘all-weather strategic cooperative partners’, Qureshi said that disputes in the region should be resolved through peaceful means and agreed mechanisms rather than resorting to "unilateral, illegal and coercive measures."

Even as China faces world criticism, Qureshi underlined that Pakistan is committed to the ‘One-China policy’ and firmly supports China on its core interests including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. He also reiterated his country's support to the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

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According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian forces exercise maximum restraint and respond to unprovoked violations and attempts at cross border terrorist infiltration. India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to ask its forces to adhere to 2003 ceasefire understanding and maintain peace and tranquillity along the LoC and International Border.

Since India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 last year and bifurcated it into two Union territories -- Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has been raising the issue at various platforms despite India's clear stance that the abrogation of Article 370 is its "internal matter".

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PM visits Leh

The talk comes at the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to the Indian Army's Nimu base in Ladakh.Prime Minister Modi addressed the soldiers and reviewed the situation along the border. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

His visit comes as a major move amid growing border tensions with China. Moreover, in a veiled dig at China, PM Modi stated that the era of expansionism is over as he addressed the personnel of the Army, Air Force and ITBP at one of the forward locations in Nimu - located at 11,000 feet, surrounded by the Zanskar range in Leh.

Even as the Prime Minister did not name China, Beijing reacted and rejected the statement, adding that it has 'through peaceful negotiations' resolved boundary disputes with 12 of its 14 neighbouring countries.

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(with PTI inputs)