Pak’s Gen Bajwa meets China’s PLA, focuses on J&K ahead of Xi’s India visit

A statement by Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Public Relations said General Bajwa discussed the regional security environment including the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and defence cooperation between Pakistan and China.

On a visit to China timed right ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to India for an informal summit, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday met top military commanders of China’s People’s Liberation Army. A statement by Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Public Relations said General Bajwa discussed the regional security environment, including the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and defence cooperation between Pakistan and China.

The army chief apprised the Chinese military leadership “about the consequences of the ongoing situation” in Kashmir if it’s not amicably resolved. (ANI PHOTO)

The statement said General Bajwa met Commander Army General Han Weiguo, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and General Xu Qiliang, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) at the PLA headquarters.

At these meetings, General Bajwa focused on Jammu and Kashmir that Islamabad has been projecting as a flashpoint between the two countries. The army chief apprised the Chinese military leadership “about the consequences of the ongoing situation” in Kashmir if it’s not amicably resolved. This, the Pakistan statement said, would happen only if India respects UN resolutions and ensures the human rights of Kashmiris.

The Pakistan military statement said the Chinese military leadership had supported what it referred to as “Pakistan’s principled stance” on Kashmir issue and appreciated “sane Pakistani approach in the interest of peace”.

According to Pakistani media, Gen Bajwa’s plane had landed in Beijing just hours before Prime Minister Imran Khan reached on a two-day visit to China; his third this year. The visit by the two Pakistani leaders comes right before President Xi leaves for India where he is to hold an informal summit with PM Modi.

According to the ISPR, the two sides agreed that continued unresolved tension between New Delhi and Islamabad would have serious implications for peace and stability in the region. Gen Bajwa is reported to have told the Chinese side, according to the ISPR statement, that Pakistan wanted peace but “not at the cost of any compromise on principles or honour and dignity of the nation”.