June 25, 2007
Pakistan Minister Rushes to Beijing
After Hostage Crisis
Islamabad
Pakistan's Home Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has rushed to
Beijing to allay Chinese concerns about the safety of its nationals
after six Chinese people were held hostage here last week.
Advancing his trip, Sherpao flew to Beijing Sunday, a day after a
36-hour hostage drama ended with the release of six Chinese and
three Pakistanis who were running a massage parlour here, reported
the Daily Times.
The abductors, students of the controversial Lal Masjid also called
Red Mosque, alleged that the parlour was also being run as a
brothel. The government had secured the release after promising to
close down all parlours that cater to both men and women.
Safety of Chinese working in Pakistan and increasing extremism in
China's Xinjiang province, where Muslim tribals are running a
separatist movement after receiving help and training from Pakistan,
are the two issues that will dominate the bilateral talks.
The security bosses of the two countries will also discuss a list of
nine militants allegedly hiding in Pakistan and wanted by Beijing.
Beijing had also conveyed its reservations to Islamabad over the
involvement of some "hidden hands" in running the affairs of East
Turkistan Islamic Movement.
Sources said China had earlier asked Pakistan to bilaterally explore
these "hidden hands" as the Islamic movement was a source of unrest
in Sinkiang. Sinkiang is an autonomous province in northwestern
China bordering Mongolia and Kazakhstan. It is homeland to Uighurs.
Sherpao told the newspaper Sunday that besides bilateral agreements
of security and fighting terrorism, the issue of Sinkiang was
expected to be discussed during a Joint Working Group meeting. He
said Pakistan would strike a deal with China to buy security
equipments.
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