China to financially help Pakistan overcome energy crisis

ISLAMABAD, May 4 (APP): China on Tuesday assured to provide more financial assistance and cooperation to Pakistan to resolve energy crisis through hydel and other power generation sources. This was stated by Huang Xilian, Deputy Chief of Mission of Chinese Embassy in an exclusive interview with APP, during his visit to the news agency’s headquarters.
Huang Xilian said China, being a close friend of Pakistan has been providing assistance and cooperation to provide energy through different sources, including peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The Deputy Chief of the Mission said China is already assisting Pakistan and over 120 projects are underway in Pakistan, where over 13,000 Chinese are working.
Referring to energy crisis, he said, China has been working on the projects of civil nuclear energy in Pakistan to resolve the energy crisis of the friendly country.
He said Chinese assistance in the peaceful nuclear energy in Pakistan is in accordance with rules and regulations of IAEA and other relevant international organizations under the policy that China supports for peaceful nuclear use.

Deputy Chief of Mission of Chinese Embassy, who has just arrived after working in Washington said, China is also ready to provide loans to finance the projects for hydel power generation in Pakistan to resolve the energy crisis.
Regarding Pak-China strategic relations, he said, “We have to strengthen and substantiate our cooperation to make our relations more stronger.”

He said Pakistan is a major player in the region and working hard for peace and stability in this part of the world. Appreciating the efforts of Pakistan to fight extremism and terrorism, he said, “We have also been working closely with Pakistan government to ensure peace and security in the region.”
He said, “We are providing necessary assistance to Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and extremism.”
Replying to a question on Pak-India relations and role of China to play in revival of dialogue process between the two nuclear rivals, Huang Xilian said Pakistan and India are the two major players in the region and have an important role in the international affairs, therefore it is imperative for them to improve their relations in their own as well as regional interest.
He said despite strong, good, higher than Himalayas, deeper than sea and sweeter than honey Pak-China relations, there is still scope for promoting trade and economic activities especially in the field of energy and science and technology.

Huang Xilian expressing satisfaction on the deep and cordial relations with Pakistan said such relations are a model of Chinese relations with the other countries.
Referring to strong relationship between the two countries, he said, he felt at home, when he arrived in Islamabad on his new diplomatic assignment.
He said both the counties are also enjoying cordial relations in the media and a number of Chinese journalists are working here.

Referring to visits of President Asif Ali Zardari to China, he said it is a proof of strong relationship and had further strengthened the bilateral ties.
He said China is also looking forward to President Zardari’s next visit to China.
Replying to another question about Shanghai World Expo, he said, it took eight years to prepare for this expo and appreciated Pakistan’s pavilion design in the expo.
He urged the Pakistani community to visit the ongoing Shanghai World Expo, that is an important venue to see the progress of China and the world progress at one place.
Pakistan’s pavilion at Shanghai Expo, is a replica of famous and historic Lahore Fort.
Later, he held talks with Managing Director of Associated Press of Pakistan, Mohammed Riaz and discussed the opportunities for enhancing cooperation in media interaction.
They also discussed to improve the cooperation in the field of electronic news gathering, besides improving the existing cooperation between the official news agencies of the two countries.

Pakistan vows full cooperation with U.S. investigation

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Tuesday vowed full cooperation on U.S. enquiries into a Pakistani-American held over an attempted bombing in New York, throwing the spotlight back onto international terror plots in the country.

U.S. officials said Faisal Shahzad, a naturalised U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, was arrested for allegedly driving a car bomb into Times Square that narrowly failed to explode on Saturday night.

News reports said Mr. Shahzad, 30, lived in Connecticut and returned recently from a five-month trip to Pakistan, including Peshawar, a known transit point for Al-Qaeda and Taliban recruits near the Afghan border.

US police arrested Mr. Shahzad as he was trying to flee to Dubai on Emirates flight EK202, with CNN reporting that Pakistan was his likely final destination.

Attorney General Eric Holder said additional evidence had been gathered and investigators were seeking information on "overseas" terrorist groups.

In Islamabad, the Pakistani government, which is dependent on US assistance as it battles Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants blamed for bombings that have killed thousands, was quick to pledge assistance.

"Pakistan and the U.S. have ongoing, robust cooperation on counter-terrorism. If required, we will extend the fullest cooperation to the US," foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told AFP.

One official confirmed there had been "initial discussion" on Mr. Shahzad at talks between US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi but declined to reveal further details.

Pakistan's Taliban, the country's premier national security threat which experts see as increasingly close to Al-Qaeda, has been the only group to claim responsibility for the attempted bombing.

Its leader -- the ruthless, energetic and youthful Hakimullah Mehsud -- threatened to attack U.S. cities with suicide bombers, seemingly back from the dead in videos that emerged two days after the attempted bombing.

"The time is very near when our fedayeen will attack the American states in the major cities," said Mehsud, in the video released by monitoring groups.

It was his first apparent appearance since U.S. officials believed he was likely killed in a U.S drone strike in northwestern Pakistan on January 14.

IntelCenter, a US-based group that monitors Islamist websites, warned that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) "may have underway a multi-staged attack involving differing attack times and multiple cities".

"Messaging analysis and other indicators are increasingly pointing to a high threat of additional strikes... most likely focusing on mass casualties, in the days and weeks ahead," IntelCenter warned.

Although the TTP claim was widely dismissed and security officials doubt its capacity to attack the United States, Mr. Shahzad's arrest highlighted the nerve centre of international militancy rooted in parts of Pakistan.

"There will be renewed pressure on Pakistan after arrest of Faisal Mr. Shahzad," Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Pakistani expert on militant groups, told AFP.

"This will give Washington an opportunity to say that terrorism is originating from Pakistan and that it should do more to curb insurgency and terrorism," he added.

The United States has put Pakistan on the front line of the war on Al-Qaeda and branded its border area with Afghanistan the most dangerous place in the world, where militant groups are believed train recruits from around the globe.

London has said the majority of extremist plots which Britain faces have links to Pakistan. Neighbouring Afghanistan also blames Pakistani militants for attacks on Afghan and US-led NATO troops fighting a Taliban insurgency.

In India, a judge found a 22-year-old Pakistani, Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, guilty this week of murder and waging war against India during the siege.

India blamed Pakistani-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the 2007 Mumbai attacks, which Indians liken to the September 11, 2001 attacks, which suspended peace talks with Pakistan and which left 166 people dead.

Pakistan not consulted by US on Time Square terror plot; says Malik

ISLAMABAD, May 4 (APP): Minister for Interior A Rehman Malik Tuesday said the US authorities had not made any request to Pakistani authorities regarding the whereabouts of Faisal Shehzad, the suspect in Time Square attack bid.  “We are receiving sketchy information about the suspect through media. Until and unless we are not provided proper information trough proper channel, I can not verify the involvement of any Pakistani citizen in the New York attack plot,” he told media here at Parliament House.

However, the minister vehemently made it clear that Pakistan would extend full cooperation with the US authorities when they seek so.

“Let me reiterate the strong resolve of Pakistan that no one would be allowed to use Pakistani soil for terrorism in any part of the world,” he added.

Rehman Malik also said the plot could be a conspiracy hatched against Pakistan with nefarious designs. However, he said if any Pakistani was found involved in plotting the terrorism bid, strict action would be taken against the perpetrators.