22 February 2019•Update: 22 February 2019
By Islamuddin Sajid and Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan / ANKARA, Turkey
Addressing rising tension in the wake of a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, neighboring China has stressed that good ties between India and Pakistan are key.
"Pakistan and India are important countries in South Asia, [and] a stable Pakistan-India relationship is crucial to regional peace, stability and development," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing late Wednesday.
Islamabad and Beijing are partners in China’s $64 billion One Belt One Road Initiative, which aims to connect China's strategically important northwestern Xinxiang province to the southern Pakistani port of Gwadar through roads, railways and pipelines to transport cargo, oil, and gas.
Geng also said: “China will engage in relevant discussions in a constructive and responsible manner, and keep close communication and coordination with India and other parties concerned.”
On calls to add Masood Azhar, the leader of militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) -- blamed for the attack -- to the official UN terrorist list, Geng added: "Regarding the listing of Masood [Azhar], there are detailed criteria of the listing of terrorist entities of individuals” by the UN Security Council, and these should be followed.
India has long pushed for Azhar to be added to the list, but China -- a close ally of Pakistan -- has used its veto power to block this.
On Feb. 14, at least 44 Indian troops were killed when an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a paramilitary bus along the Jammu-Kashmir highway.
Pakistan designated the JeM a banned terrorist group in 2002.
Relations between Pakistan and India hit a fresh low after India last week blamed Pakistan for the Kashmir attack, accusations Islamabad denied.
- Disputed region
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.
Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
