Cong objects to Pak statement of giving 'blank Cheque' to China

Congress objected to Pakistan's statement of giving a "blank cheque" to China authorising it to negotiate with India on the former's behalf to deal with the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Congress on Thursday objected to Pakistan's statement of giving a "blank cheque" to China authorising it to negotiate with India on the former's behalf to deal with the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

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"No outside power has any right to interfere in context of South Asia and especially in Indo-Pak context. Pakistan also accepted, when it signed the Shimla accord in 1972," AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters in New Delhi.

Speaking at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Pakistan on Wednesday night, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said he had told Chinese special envoy He Yafei to "go to Delhi and you have a blank cheque from us"

The minister had said he had told the envoy that Pakistan would endorse whatever China, all-weather friend of Pakistan, would tell India.

Reacting to it, the AICC spokesperson said, "In relation to Mumbai attacks, only one thing remains that they (Pakistan) hand over the accused of Mumbai terror attacks, who are hiding in Pakistan, to India."

India will keep up international pressure on Pakistan till they are not handed over to us, Tewari said.

"We hope all permanent members of the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) understand the reality of terrorism and build pressure on Pakistan to demolish the infrastructure of terrorism there," he said replying to question whether China is indirectly supporting Pakistan on the issue.

He, however, refused to comment on China's role into the issue saying, "I do not want to comment on China's foreign policy."