Pakistan offers China blank cheque to negotiate deal with India

Pakistan offers China blank cheque to negotiate deal with India
China National News
Thursday 22nd January, 2009
(ANI)



Islamabad, Jan.22 : Keen to bring its relations with India back on the peace track, Pakistan has offered key ally China a blank cheque for negotiating any deal with New Delhi to satisfy it on the issue of Mumbai terrorist attack.

According to the Dawn, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi the Special Envoy of the Chinese Government, He Yafei, at Chinese Embassy reception: "You can go to Delhi and you have blank cheque from us."

Emphasizing on the trust Pakistan reposed in Chinese leadership for ending the tensions, Qureshi told Yafei that Pakistan would endorse whatever China would say to India.

The Chinese envoy had visited Pakistan on December 29 for defusing tensions between Pakistan and India.

In his meetings with country's top leadership, the envoy had indicated that China would remain engaged to promote peace and stability in the region.

Immediately after Yafei's visit, Pakistan made two proposals for defusing tensions arising from the Mumbai attack asking India to 'de-activate the forward airbases' and 'relocate the troops back to peace time positions'.

Referring to China's peacemaker role, Qureshi had in his statement on PTV that 'certain developments during the past 48 hours' augured well for the region.

The Chinese envoy then traveled to New Delhi on January 5 to push India to de-escalate the tensions and resume dialogue with Pakistan.

Although, Chinese initiative was initially cold-shouldered by the Indians, there was a change in attitude and New Delhi discussed their concerns with the envoy.