Musharraf Leaves Beijing for Nepal, China Urges Maximum Restraint

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 04, 2002

Musharraf Leaves Beijing for Nepal, China Urges Maximum Restraint

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf left Beijing on Friday for a South Asia summit in Nepal after talks during which China urged India and Pakistan to exercise "maximum restraint."

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf left Beijing on Friday for a South Asia summit in Nepal after talks during which China urged India and Pakistan to exercise "maximum restraint."

Musharraf left Beijing at about 10 am (0200 GMT) on a plane bound for the southwestern city of Chengdu, from where he would continue on a flight to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, a Pakistani source told reporters.

Musharraf told Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji during a meeting late Thursday that "Pakistan hopes for peace, opposes war, and is willing to work to ease the current tensions (with India) through dialogue."

Musharraf also said that his government "has already taken and is taking necessary measures to combat terrorism and contain extremism".

Premier Zhu told Musharraf that "it is in the fundamental interests of both Pakistan and India that the two countries keep maximum restraint and safeguard peace and stability in the south Asian region."

Premier Zhu welcomed "Pakistan's active participation in international cooperation on combating terrorism" and its "adherence to seeking dialogue and peace under the current tension between Pakistan and India."

Musharraf is to attend a summit in Kathmandu of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), of which both India and Pakistan are members.

Zhu said he hoped the SAARC summit would play a positive role in easing the tension in South Asia.

Tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan have been at flashpoint since a December 13 attack on the Indian parliament that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

In retaliation, India imposed a number of sanctions on Pakistan, including closing its airspace to Pakistani aircraft from January 1.

India said it would allow Musharraf to fly over its territory en route to Kathmandu but Pakistani officials said the president preferred to travel to Nepal via China.

Musharraf paid a state visit to China between December 20 and 24 when the two countries agreed to strengthen their relations.

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