China, Pak reject reports of presence of Chinese troops in PoK

K J M Varma and Rezaul H Laskar
Beijing/Islamabad, Apr 7 (PTI) China and Pakistan
Thursday dismissed as "baseless" reports about the presence of
Chinesetroops along the Line of Control (LoC) in
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told a
media briefing in Beijing that "the reports are baseless and
ridiculous."
In Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina
Janjua told a weekly news briefing that there was no basis for
the reports.
"This is the most absurd piece of information I have
heard. It is totally baseless," she said.
Janjua was responding to a question about India's
External Affairs Ministry seeking a report from the Defence
Ministry about the presence of Chinese soldiers along the LoC.
The media reports had quoted Northern Command chief Lt
Gen K T Parnaik as saying that Chinese troops were present
along the LoC and posed a military challenge to India. He had
also expressed concern over the presence of Chinese military
in the region as "too close for comfort".
Parnaik had said: "Chinese presence in
Gilgit-Baltistan and the Northern Areas is increasing
steadily... There are many people who are concerned about the
fact that if there was to be hostility between us and
Pakistan, what would be the complicity of Chinese."
"Not only they are in the neighbourhood but the fact
that they are actually present and stationed along the LoC,"
Parnaik said addressing a seminar in Jammu last week.
In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs has sought
a report from Defence Ministry on the issue.
This is not the first time China has dismissed such
reports.
Last year, China officially clarified to India that
some of its personnel were present in POK to render flood
relief assistance amid reports in the American media about the
presence of large number of Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan
areas.
India has also time and again conveyed its concerns
over the presence of Chinese personnel working in different
projects in POK as it was a disputed territory.
The issue reportedly figured during the last December
visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to New Delhi.
Fresh Indian concerns over the issue and the reported
observations of the top Indian General comes ahead of the
scheduled bi-lateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit
at the Chinese resort of Sanya on April 13-14.