The visiting Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang warned Pakistan to put aside political disagreements in order to open the door for economic growth while expressing alarm about the South Asian nation's rising instability.

For the fourth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, which was conducted in Islamabad on Saturday, China's Foreign Minister, Qin Gang made his first trip to the nation since being appointed as Beijing's top ambassador.

"We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so it can focus on growing the economy," Qin said at a press briefing alongside Pakistani FM, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

This came after the closed-door strategic talks held between the two.&nbsp;

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is in Pakistan for a two-day visit. Earlier, he met Pakistan President Arif Alvi and vowed to strengthen strategic ties between the two nations, including in the fields of connectivity, information technology, and agriculture.

They also pledged to accelerate China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) construction by working together. Alvi stated that the long-standing friendship is the foundation of their cordial ties. Qin attended the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa on May 4 and 5 in Panaji, Goa where his Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also present.

WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-dramatic-visuals-as-truck-driver-rescued-in-kenya-after-sudden-floods-589502">Dramatic visuals as truck driver rescued in Kenya after sudden floods</a>

In addition to being the Foreign Minister, Qin is also the state Councillor of China. It is a higher rank associated with the Communist Party of China.

According to Alvi, the Pakistani side is extremely grateful to China for helping Pakistan battle COVID-19, carry out post-disaster rehabilitation, and evacuate Pakistanis living abroad from Sudan, which has been severely affected by violence.

The president emphasised that Pakistan fully upholds the one-China policy and supports China on matters pertaining to its vital interests, such as those pertaining to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said that Pakistan is prepared to collaborate with China for peace and rebuilding in Afghanistan and that it will make every effort to secure the safety of Chinese troops and institutions in Pakistan. This comes as many Chinese nationals have come under attack on Pakistani soil.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/onus-on-india-to-restart-peace-talks-pak-fm-bilawal-bhutto-589483">Onus on India to restart peace talks: Pak FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari</a>

Qin, for his part, asserted that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperating partners, stressing that&nbsp;governments in the two nations have made strengthening and expanding the bilateral unshakable friendship a top priority.

The Chinese side also supported Pakistan in preserving its sovereignty&nbsp;and territorial integrity.

Qin said&nbsp;China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in a variety of fields, jointly fend off external risks and challenges, and steadily advance the China-Pakistan community with a shared future.

Watch | Srinagar gears up to host g20 summit | Inside South Asia: part 2

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/srinagar-gears-up-to-host-g20-summit-inside-south-asia-part-2-589431/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

During his Pakistan visit, Qin Gang is due to take part in China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' meeting. The trilateral is being held less than a month after the 'Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan Plus Afghanistan' Foreign Ministers meeting of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran in Samarkand, in which Qin presided.

Pakistan's new Army Chief Asim Munir earlier visited China during which he held a series of meetings with top Chinese Generals and top diplomat Wang Yi who is the Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee.

During Gen. Munir's visit, China's new Premier Li Qiang also held his first phone call with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and promised continued financial help for Pakistan which is facing a serious political and economic crisis.

In Pakistan, Qin will "meet with the leader of Pakistan and co-chair the fourth round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/srinagar-gears-up-to-host-g20-summit-inside-south-asia-part-2-589431/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The visiting Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang warned Pakistan to put aside political disagreements in order to open the door for economic growth while expressing alarm about the South Asian nation's rising instability.

The visiting Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang warned Pakistan to put aside political disagreements in order to open the door for economic growth while expressing alarm about the South Asian nation's rising instability. For the fourth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, which was conducted in Islamabad on Saturday, China's Foreign Minister, Qin Gang made his first trip to the nation since being appointed as Beijing's top ambassador. "We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so it can focus on growing the economy," Qin said at a press briefing alongside Pakistani FM, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. This came after the closed-door strategic talks held between the two. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is in Pakistan for a two-day visit. Earlier, he met Pakistan President Arif Alvi and vowed to strengthen strategic ties between the two nations, including in the fields of connectivity, information technology, and agriculture. They also pledged to accelerate China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) construction by working together. Alvi stated that the long-standing friendship is the foundation of their cordial ties. Qin attended the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa on May 4 and 5 in Panaji, Goa where his Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also present. WATCH | Dramatic visuals as truck driver rescued in Kenya after sudden floods In addition to being the Foreign Minister, Qin is also the state Councillor of China. It is a higher rank associated with the Communist Party of China. According to Alvi, the Pakistani side is extremely grateful to China for helping Pakistan battle COVID-19, carry out post-disaster rehabilitation, and evacuate Pakistanis living abroad from Sudan, which has been severely affected by violence. The president emphasised that Pakistan fully upholds the one-China policy and supports China on matters pertaining to its vital interests, such as those pertaining to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said that Pakistan is prepared to collaborate with China for peace and rebuilding in Afghanistan and that it will make every effort to secure the safety of Chinese troops and institutions in Pakistan. This comes as many Chinese nationals have come under attack on Pakistani soil. Also Read | Onus on India to restart peace talks: Pak FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Qin, for his part, asserted that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperating partners, stressing that governments in the two nations have made strengthening and expanding the bilateral unshakable friendship a top priority. The Chinese side also supported Pakistan in preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Qin said China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in a variety of fields, jointly fend off external risks and challenges, and steadily advance the China-Pakistan community with a shared future. Watch | Srinagar gears up to host g20 summit | Inside South Asia: part 2 × During his Pakistan visit, Qin Gang is due to take part in China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' meeting. The trilateral is being held less than a month after the 'Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan Plus Afghanistan' Foreign Ministers meeting of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran in Samarkand, in which Qin presided. Pakistan's new Army Chief Asim Munir earlier visited China during which he held a series of meetings with top Chinese Generals and top diplomat Wang Yi who is the Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. During Gen. Munir's visit, China's new Premier Li Qiang also held his first phone call with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and promised continued financial help for Pakistan which is facing a serious political and economic crisis. In Pakistan, Qin will "meet with the leader of Pakistan and co-chair the fourth round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari."

Pakistan must overcome political instability: Chinese FM Qin Gang

All-weather allies, China and Pakistan have agreed to deepen their cooperation in UN and other multilateral bodies to back their core interests, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The two countries held their third round of China-Pakistan Consultations on the United Nations Affairs by a video conference on Thursday.

At the meeting, views were exchanged on a wide range of multilateral issues of mutual interest covering all major areas of the United Nations' work, a press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry here on Friday said.

Both the countries have agreed to strengthen their cooperation on the United Nations and other multilateral platforms and to support each other on each side's core and major interests, it said.

They also agreed to firmly safeguard multilateralism and support the central role of the United Nations in international affairs, work towards the political and peaceful resolution of regional and international hotspot issues, and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the world, especially in Asia.

They have decided to continue to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism and peacekeeping in the UN framework, by addressing the issue of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and supporting the UN peacekeeping operations, so as to make greater contributions to the maintenance of international and regional peace and security, the release said.

The two sides would also consolidate strategic coordination in the field of human rights, jointly opposing "double standards" and the politicisation of human rights issues, and working for the promotion and protection of all human rights in a cooperative manner, it said.

All-weather allies, China and Pakistan have agreed to deepen their cooperation in UN and other multilateral bodies to back their core interests, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

All-weather allies, China and Pakistan have agreed to deepen their cooperation in UN and other multilateral bodies to back their core interests, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday. The two countries held their third round of China-Pakistan Consultations on the United Nations Affairs by a video conference on Thursday. At the meeting, views were exchanged on a wide range of multilateral issues of mutual interest covering all major areas of the United Nations' work, a press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry here on Friday said. Both the countries have agreed to strengthen their cooperation on the United Nations and other multilateral platforms and to support each other on each side's core and major interests, it said. They also agreed to firmly safeguard multilateralism and support the central role of the United Nations in international affairs, work towards the political and peaceful resolution of regional and international hotspot issues, and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the world, especially in Asia. They have decided to continue to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism and peacekeeping in the UN framework, by addressing the issue of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and supporting the UN peacekeeping operations, so as to make greater contributions to the maintenance of international and regional peace and security, the release said. The two sides would also consolidate strategic coordination in the field of human rights, jointly opposing "double standards" and the politicisation of human rights issues, and working for the promotion and protection of all human rights in a cooperative manner, it said.

China, Pakistan to strengthen cooperation in UN, multilateral bodies

Will China 'Go To Any Extent' To Support Pakistan In The Kashmir Issue?

WION EDIT: How far will China go to back Pakistan?

How China, Pak arms deal is changing military dynamics in South Asia

China on Wednesday dismissed reports that it had been served an ultimatum until April 23 by the US, UK and France to lift its "technical hold" on designating Pakistan-based <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/listing-of-masood-azhar-as-global-terrorist-china-claims-positive-progress-made-207217">JeM chief Masood Azhar</a> as a global terrorist but claimed that the vexed issue is moving towards settlement.

After the Pulwama attack, a fresh proposal to designate Azhar under the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/masood-azhar-issue-and-crackdown-on-uighurs-put-china-in-a-tight-spot-207202">1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee</a> of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US.

However, China blocked the bid by putting a "technical hold" on the proposal. Following this, the US backed by the UK and France moved directly to UN Security Council (UNSC) to blacklist Azhar.

China, a veto-wielding member of the UNSC, had opposed the move, saying the issue should be resolved at the 1267 Committee itself which also functioned under the top UN body.

Reacting to reports that the three countries have fixed April 23 as deadline for China to lift its technical hold in the 1267 Committee or else they would press for a discussion on the issue at the UNSC itself, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, "I don't know where you get such information."

He said both the UNSC and its subsidiary body 1267 Committee have clear rules and procedures.

"You need to get clarification from the sources about where you get such information. China's position is very clear. This issue should be resolved through cooperation. We don't believe that any efforts without the consensus of members will achieve a satisfying results," he said.

"On the issue of listing Azhar, China's position remains unchanged. We also stay in communication with relevant parties. The matter is moving towards the direction of settlement," he said.

"The relevant parties are forcing new resolution through the UN Security Council. We firmly oppose that. In fact, the relevant discussion in UNSC, most member expressed the wish that this issue should be discussed within the 1267 committee and they don't hope to bypass it to handle the issue," he said.

Without directly referring to the US, Lu said, "We hope the relevant country can respect the opinion of most members of the UNSC to act in a cooperative manner and help this issue be properly resolved within the framework of the 1267 Committee."

China on Wednesday dismissed reports that it had been served an ultimatum until April 23 by the US, UK and France to lift its "technical hold" on designating Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but claimed that the vexed issue is moving towards settlement.

China on Wednesday dismissed reports that it had been served an ultimatum until April 23 by the US, UK and France to lift its "technical hold" on designating Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist but claimed that the vexed issue is moving towards settlement. After the Pulwama attack, a fresh proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US. However, China blocked the bid by putting a "technical hold" on the proposal. Following this, the US backed by the UK and France moved directly to UN Security Council (UNSC) to blacklist Azhar. China, a veto-wielding member of the UNSC, had opposed the move, saying the issue should be resolved at the 1267 Committee itself which also functioned under the top UN body. Reacting to reports that the three countries have fixed April 23 as deadline for China to lift its technical hold in the 1267 Committee or else they would press for a discussion on the issue at the UNSC itself, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, "I don't know where you get such information." He said both the UNSC and its subsidiary body 1267 Committee have clear rules and procedures. "You need to get clarification from the sources about where you get such information. China's position is very clear. This issue should be resolved through cooperation. We don't believe that any efforts without the consensus of members will achieve a satisfying results," he said. "On the issue of listing Azhar, China's position remains unchanged. We also stay in communication with relevant parties. The matter is moving towards the direction of settlement," he said. "The relevant parties are forcing new resolution through the UN Security Council. We firmly oppose that. In fact, the relevant discussion in UNSC, most member expressed the wish that this issue should be discussed within the 1267 committee and they don't hope to bypass it to handle the issue," he said. Without directly referring to the US, Lu said, "We hope the relevant country can respect the opinion of most members of the UNSC to act in a cooperative manner and help this issue be properly resolved within the framework of the 1267 Committee."

Firmly oppose forcing new resolution through UNSC on Masood Azhar: China

The police in China have ramped up <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-cpec-intensified-pakistans-economic-risks-208789">efforts to close down illegal marriage</a> centres and brokers amid complaints of trafficking of Pakistani women to China, who were lured with fake marriages.

Local authorities in Heze, East China's Shandong Province, have stepped up efforts to close illegal marriage brokers which introduce women from Pakistan to Chinese men, state-run Global Times reported on Tuesday.

There are many videos of wedding ceremonies of Pakistani women with Chinese men. Many of these videos were claimed to be shot in Shandong, one of China's most populous provinces, the report said.

The scandal came to light after a top private Pakistani television station 'ARY news' last week aired images of several Chinese men with six local women in different rooms, including two teenage girls, at an illegal matchmaking centre in the eastern city of Lahore.

A Voice of America (VOA) report said the ARY channel crew showed up unannounced at the facility along with local police and interviewed the foreigners, their local facilitators and the alleged Pakistani wives of the Chinese men.

The local facilitators told the TV channel they would lure families into an agreement by saying their would-be Chinese son-in-law was seeking Pakistani citizenship so he could invest in the country as part of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-pull-out-of-major-cpec-power-plant-project-report-190158">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project </a>(CPEC), the US $60 billion project connecting both the countries.

The report raised concerns of trafficking of Pakistani women to China. Since the CPEC project started in 2013, large number of Chinese are entering Pakistan to work on various projects.

The scandal came to light at a sensitive time when China is set to organise the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) from April 25-27 to showcase the development of its mega trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The CPEC project is officially stated to be BRI's flagship project. The report said since February that civil affairs department, local police and market supervision departments in Heze have worked together to take down illegal match-making centres.

Two illegal centres in Heze's Caoxian county, which allegedly introduced local males to females from Pakistan for a price of more than $15,000, were raided on February 21, the report said.

Some match-making centres in Heze spread information on cross-national marriages among young people during the past Spring Festival and Chinese New Year holidays in February charging large sums of money to effect introductions to women from abroad, it said.

China is cooperating with Pakistani law enforcement agencies to crack down on the illegal marriage brokers, rejecting Pakistani media reports of human trafficking and sales of organs, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said in a press release on Saturday.

"We remind both Chinese and Pakistani citizens to remain vigilant and not to be cheated. We hope that the public does not believe in misleading information and works together to safeguard China-Pakistan friendship," the embassy said.

A marriage broker surnamed Li, who works for a match-maker in Chinese city of Dezhou, also in Shandong Province, told the Global Times that Chinese men looked for foreign brides as it is not easy for local men to find a wife, especially as the gender ratio is so unbalanced.

In 2015, the gender ratio in China was 113.5 men to every 100 women - one of the highest in the world. It is forecast to drop below 112 by 2020 and 107 by 2030, according to the National Population Development Outline released by the Chinese central cabinet in January, 2017.

Li said that his agency had successfully introduced several couples. He promised that if the marriage does not last two months, the clients have a second chance to go to Pakistan to find another wife, the Global Times report said.

"Several matchmaking agencies in China reached by the daily confirmed that they used to introduce Pakistani women to Chinese men, but some had stopped the business because it was too difficult to get visas," the report said.

The police in China have ramped up efforts to close down illegal marriage centres and brokers amid complaints of trafficking of Pakistani women to China, who were lured with fake marriages.

The police in China have ramped up efforts to close down illegal marriage centres and brokers amid complaints of trafficking of Pakistani women to China, who were lured with fake marriages. Local authorities in Heze, East China's Shandong Province, have stepped up efforts to close illegal marriage brokers which introduce women from Pakistan to Chinese men, state-run Global Times reported on Tuesday. There are many videos of wedding ceremonies of Pakistani women with Chinese men. Many of these videos were claimed to be shot in Shandong, one of China's most populous provinces, the report said. The scandal came to light after a top private Pakistani television station 'ARY news' last week aired images of several Chinese men with six local women in different rooms, including two teenage girls, at an illegal matchmaking centre in the eastern city of Lahore. A Voice of America (VOA) report said the ARY channel crew showed up unannounced at the facility along with local police and interviewed the foreigners, their local facilitators and the alleged Pakistani wives of the Chinese men. The local facilitators told the TV channel they would lure families into an agreement by saying their would-be Chinese son-in-law was seeking Pakistani citizenship so he could invest in the country as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC), the US $60 billion project connecting both the countries. The report raised concerns of trafficking of Pakistani women to China. Since the CPEC project started in 2013, large number of Chinese are entering Pakistan to work on various projects. The scandal came to light at a sensitive time when China is set to organise the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) from April 25-27 to showcase the development of its mega trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPEC project is officially stated to be BRI's flagship project. The report said since February that civil affairs department, local police and market supervision departments in Heze have worked together to take down illegal match-making centres. Two illegal centres in Heze's Caoxian county, which allegedly introduced local males to females from Pakistan for a price of more than $15,000, were raided on February 21, the report said. Some match-making centres in Heze spread information on cross-national marriages among young people during the past Spring Festival and Chinese New Year holidays in February charging large sums of money to effect introductions to women from abroad, it said. China is cooperating with Pakistani law enforcement agencies to crack down on the illegal marriage brokers, rejecting Pakistani media reports of human trafficking and sales of organs, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said in a press release on Saturday. "We remind both Chinese and Pakistani citizens to remain vigilant and not to be cheated. We hope that the public does not believe in misleading information and works together to safeguard China-Pakistan friendship," the embassy said. A marriage broker surnamed Li, who works for a match-maker in Chinese city of Dezhou, also in Shandong Province, told the Global Times that Chinese men looked for foreign brides as it is not easy for local men to find a wife, especially as the gender ratio is so unbalanced. In 2015, the gender ratio in China was 113.5 men to every 100 women - one of the highest in the world. It is forecast to drop below 112 by 2020 and 107 by 2030, according to the National Population Development Outline released by the Chinese central cabinet in January, 2017. Li said that his agency had successfully introduced several couples. He promised that if the marriage does not last two months, the clients have a second chance to go to Pakistan to find another wife, the Global Times report said. "Several matchmaking agencies in China reached by the daily confirmed that they used to introduce Pakistani women to Chinese men, but some had stopped the business because it was too difficult to get visas," the report said.

How CPEC is used to traffick young Pakistani women to China

China has allegedly detained dozens of Chinese Muslim women in its restive Xinjiang province, located in the north-western part of the country, for marrying Pakistani men belonging to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region of Pakistan.

This issue was addressed in a unanimously passed resolution of the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly, which was disclosed by the Pakistani lawmakers on Sunday.

According to the resolution passed, it has called the Pakistan government to take urgent steps to secure the release of over 50 Chinese wives, who according to them, was taken into custody last year when they were in their native towns of the Xinjiang province visiting their relatives, the Voice of America reported.

The deputy speaker of the assembly, Jafferullah Khan, was quoted by various media outlets as saying that the Chinese women were rounded up during an anti-terrorism drive by China on the ethnic Uighur Muslim community in Xinjiang.

The women are married to GB men, most of them who are affiliated with trading activities through the Khunjerab Pass, the only land route linking Pakistan and China. The mountain pass is situated about 4,500 meters above the sea level.

Regional lawmakers have asserted that the history of inter-caste marriages between GB and Xinjiang is decades old, and both the border regions share extremely close cultural ties.

They have insisted that the detained Chinese women had no links to any radical terrorism and were absolutely innocent.

The Chinese and Pakistani federal officials are yet to react to the allegations levelled in the resolution.

In the recent years, religiously motivated violence in Xinjiang province has been a thorn in the flesh for Chinese officials. They have blamed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), who are responsible for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in and beyond the province.

The ETIM is believed to have ties with militants operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan respectively.

The separatist group was founded by Uighur militants, in response to the alleged government suppressions on religious and cultural expression, a charge Beijing has denied it as &quot;baseless&quot;.

The GB region is the gateway to a massive economic cooperation deal, called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), initiated by Islamabad and Beijing.

The building of the $62 billion economic corridor is a combination of building roads, rails, power plants and economic free zones in Pakistan.

Thousands of Chinese are currently working on the CPEC project in Pakistan. When built, it will link Gwadar to Xinjiang region in China, through Khunjerab Pass, giving Beijing a secure and shortest trade access to international markets.

This issue was addressed in a unanimously passed resolution of the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly, which was disclosed by the Pakistani lawmakers

China has allegedly detained dozens of Chinese Muslim women in its restive Xinjiang province, located in the north-western part of the country, for marrying Pakistani men belonging to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region of Pakistan. This issue was addressed in a unanimously passed resolution of the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly, which was disclosed by the Pakistani lawmakers on Sunday. According to the resolution passed, it has called the Pakistan government to take urgent steps to secure the release of over 50 Chinese wives, who according to them, was taken into custody last year when they were in their native towns of the Xinjiang province visiting their relatives, the Voice of America reported. The deputy speaker of the assembly, Jafferullah Khan, was quoted by various media outlets as saying that the Chinese women were rounded up during an anti-terrorism drive by China on the ethnic Uighur Muslim community in Xinjiang. The women are married to GB men, most of them who are affiliated with trading activities through the Khunjerab Pass, the only land route linking Pakistan and China. The mountain pass is situated about 4,500 meters above the sea level. Regional lawmakers have asserted that the history of inter-caste marriages between GB and Xinjiang is decades old, and both the border regions share extremely close cultural ties. They have insisted that the detained Chinese women had no links to any radical terrorism and were absolutely innocent. The Chinese and Pakistani federal officials are yet to react to the allegations levelled in the resolution. In the recent years, religiously motivated violence in Xinjiang province has been a thorn in the flesh for Chinese officials. They have blamed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), who are responsible for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in and beyond the province. The ETIM is believed to have ties with militants operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan respectively. The separatist group was founded by Uighur militants, in response to the alleged government suppressions on religious and cultural expression, a charge Beijing has denied it as "baseless". The GB region is the gateway to a massive economic cooperation deal, called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), initiated by Islamabad and Beijing. The building of the $62 billion economic corridor is a combination of building roads, rails, power plants and economic free zones in Pakistan. Thousands of Chinese are currently working on the CPEC project in Pakistan. When built, it will link Gwadar to Xinjiang region in China, through Khunjerab Pass, giving Beijing a secure and shortest trade access to international markets.

China accused of detaining Muslim women married to Pakistani men

A Chinese national was shot in Zamzama park in&nbsp; Karachi, Pakistan by an unidentified person on Monday.

It is said to be a targeted killing as media reports have quoted police saying that he was followed by armed assailants.

During the incident, a passerby also got injured.

Police have begun an investigation into the matter, evidence has been collected from the site of evidence by the extra contingent of police and rangers.

Following the killing,&nbsp;reports say security has been beefed up in the area especially of&nbsp;Chinese nationals.

In 2017 two Chinese nationals were kidnapped from Jinnah area of Quetta provincial capital of Balochistan.

The presence of Chinese nationals has been increased in the past few years in Pakistan due to CPEC.

The Pakistani government has also deployed 15,000 military personnel to protect projects under the economic corridor.

(With inputs from ANI)

It is said to be a targeted killing as media reports have quoted police saying that he was followed by armed assailants

A Chinese national was shot in Zamzama park in Karachi, Pakistan by an unidentified person on Monday. It is said to be a targeted killing as media reports have quoted police saying that he was followed by armed assailants. During the incident, a passerby also got injured. Police have begun an investigation into the matter, evidence has been collected from the site of evidence by the extra contingent of police and rangers. Following the killing, reports say security has been beefed up in the area especially of Chinese nationals. In 2017 two Chinese nationals were kidnapped from Jinnah area of Quetta provincial capital of Balochistan. The presence of Chinese nationals has been increased in the past few years in Pakistan due to CPEC. The Pakistani government has also deployed 15,000 military personnel to protect projects under the economic corridor. (With inputs from ANI)

Chinese national shot dead in Karachi