MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistani officials evacuated more than 50 Chinese nationals working near the Kashmir frontier, authorities said Wednesday, after skirmishes with India killed at least three people and injured dozens.
The Chinese were working on a dam being constructed in Azad Kashmir along the confluence of the Neelam and Jhelum rivers when firing pushed authorities to move the workers late Tuesday, according to Akhtar Ayub from the local disaster management authority.
Another local official Raja Shahid Mahmood said the decision was made after Indian security forces fired a volley of “indiscriminate fire that killed three people including a woman and a child and wounded 31 others during the last 24 hours.”
Tensions remain high with arch-rival India after the nuclear armed neighbors launched tit-for-tat air strikes in February following a suicide bombing in Indian administered Kashmir which was claimed by Pakistan-based militants.
Since then they have stepped back from the brink, but firing between the two sides across the de-facto border dividing Kashmir has continued.
Kashmir is ruled in part but claimed in full by both countries, who have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over it.
The latest incident comes after US President Donald Trump Trump triggered a political fiasco in India last week by claiming during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that Indian leader Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in the Kashmir dispute.
India vehemently denied that Modi had made any such request, saying the Kashmir issue must be resolved bilaterally between the two countries.
Pakistan evacuates Chinese nationals as firing in disputed Kashmir kills three
Pakistan evacuates Chinese nationals as firing in disputed Kashmir kills three
- The Chinese were working on a dam being constructed along the confluence of Neelam and Jhelum rivers
- Casualties resulted from firing of Indian forces inside Pakistan administered territory
Deputy PM Dar in Beijing to co-chair 7th Pakistan–China Strategic Dialogue
- The foreign ministers’ dialogue is the highest consultative mechanism between Pakistan and China to review bilateral cooperation
- The two ministers will also announce a series of initiatives, activities to mark 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in Beijing to co-chair the 7th Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, the Pakistani foreign office said on Saturday.
The strategic dialogue is the highest consultative mechanism between Pakistan and China, providing a structured platform to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest.
Dar will co-chair the dialogue with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday.
“The Dialogue will review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation, identify new areas of partnership, and further advance the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
Pakistan and China have longstanding strategic, political, economic, defense and cultural relations. Both Islamabad and Beijing maintain close coordination on regional and international issues, frequently supporting each other’s core interests at multilateral forums.
China has also been an important investment partner for Pakistan and has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.
During the visit, the two foreign ministers will also announce a series of initiatives and commemorative activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China in 2026.
“The visit forms an important part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and reflects their shared determination to broaden and deepen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, while reaffirming their mutual commitment to regional peace, stability, and sustainable development,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
