China on Sunday put its weight behind Pakistan's efforts to safeguard its territorial integrity and sovereignty in the wake of brewing tensions with India after the Pahalgam attack as Beijing urged both sides to show restraint.
The show of support came from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who spoke to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss the evolving situation arising out of attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
"As an ironclad friend and all-weather strategic cooperative partner, China fully understands Pakistan's legitimate security concerns and supports its efforts to uphold its sovereignty and security interests," the top Chinese diplomat was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in an official readout following the telephone call with Dar.
The Chinese support is crucial for Pakistan as India has threatened retaliation. Given Indian war mongering, all-out war or limited conflict is a real possibility. In the event of any limited or bigger conflict, China's support for Pakistan will be critical to keep India at bay.
New Delhi while considering several options must be taking into account the China factor. Strategic affairs experts believe that China would never want Pakistan to suffer any setback from India, therefore, in case of any military conflict, Beijing would support Islamabad.
The two foreign ministers spoke against the backdrop of reports emanating from India that the hard-line Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could launch an attack on Pakistan after blaming Pakistan for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that shattered the Narendra Modi government's narrative of restoring normalcy to the disputed region.
Pakistan vehemently denied its involvement and offered to participate in any "neutral, transparent and credible" investigation. In the telephone conversation, the top Chinese diplomat backed Pakistan's demand for "impartial inquiry."
"China supports the prompt initiation of an impartial investigation, emphasising that conflict serves neither the fundamental interests of India and Pakistan nor regional peace and stability," the foreign minister stressed.
He said that Beijing hoped both sides would exercise restraint, move toward each other, and work to de-escalate tensions. Wang said that China was closely following the evolving situation of the tensions between Pakistan and India following the attack in the Kashmir region.
During the phone call, Dar briefed Wang on the latest developments regarding tensions between Pakistan and India, following the deadly attack in the Kashmir region, stating that Pakistan had always been resolute in combating terrorism and opposes actions that could escalate tensions.
"Pakistan remains committed to managing the situation through a mature approach and will maintain communication with China and the international community," said Dar. "Combating terrorism constitutes a shared responsibility of all nations, and China consistently supports Pakistan's firm counter-terrorism actions," said Wang.
A separate statement issued by the Foreign Office in Islamabad said that Dar briefed Wang on the current regional situation. He categorically rejected India's unilateral and illegal actions, as well as its baseless propaganda against Pakistan.
Expressing deep appreciation for China's consistent and unwavering support, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's strong commitment to "the iron-clad Pakistan-China friendship and the shared vision of an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership".
He emphasised Pakistan's determination to further deepen bilateral cooperation across all spheres. Both sides reiterated their firm resolve to uphold regional peace and stability, promote mutual respect and understanding, and jointly oppose unilateralism and hegemonic policies.
They agreed to maintain close communication and coordination at all levels to advance their shared objectives of peace, security, and sustainable development in the region and beyond.
Meanwhile, Dar also spoke to UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy and briefed him on the current regional situation, sharing India's false accusations, baseless propaganda, and unilateral measures including illegal decision to put the Indus Waters Treat (IWT) in abeyancea clear violation of India's international obligations.
He reiterated Pakistan's unwavering resolve to defend its national interests, while continuing to promote peace and stability in the region.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasised the importance of de-escalating the situation through dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues. Appreciating these efforts, Dar conveyed Pakistan's readiness to participate in any independent and transparent investigation to ascertain the facts. Both leaders agreed to maintain active contact regarding the evolving situation.
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