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China detain 35 Pak nationals for planning attack on Games

by Sanjay Jha | August 20, 2008 at 04:51 am | 129 views | add comment | 0 recommendations

Pakistan best ally China has arrested more than three dozen Pakistani citizens for plotting an attack during the Olympics games. These visiting Pakistani were travelling to China as Olympic spectators. The Chinese government has asked the Pakistani government for details of the arrested in a letter that alleged 35 suspected Pakistani militants had arrived in China to attack proceedings at the Games.

Thirty-five Pakistan nationals on a visit to China for the Olympics have been detained on suspicion of planning to attack the Games proceedings, a media report said on Wednesday.

The Chinese government has sought the details of the 35 suspects from Pakistan in a letter that claims that they had arrived in China to attack proceedings at the ongoing Games, Daily Times reported.

The paper said Colonel Anjum Sheikh Saeed of the Foreign Security Department wrote to the Interior Ministry on August 18 asking the authorities concerned to collect details of those detained.

It said the Chinese government has not released the names of those held, but has given the names and passport numbers of 13 others.

In Beijing, an official spokesperson declined to confirm the report saying he did not have information on the issue.

"I don't have information yet (on this issue.) But I will check for you," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang told reporters when asked to confirm the Pakistani media report.

In the past, Beijing has demanded Islamabad crack down on separatists from its restive Xinjiang region, who are getting "trained" in Pakistani terror camps.