Pakistan denies giving de-facto control of Gilgit Baltistan to China

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has strongly denied handing over de-facto control of the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) to China.

The New York Times reported that there was a simmering rebellion against Pakistani rule and on the invitation of the Pakistani government, ’seven to eleven thousand’ Chinese soldiers had entered Gilgit-Baltistan area.

The Pakistan Foreign Office strongly denied the news being circulated in the American and Indian media, claiming that ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’ region had been handed over to China, on Tuesday.

“The Chinese were working on landslide, flood hit areas and on the destroyed Korakoram Highway with the permission of Pakistani Government,” the Dawn quoted Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit, as saying.

Referring to the article, Basit said: “The statements are based on incomplete information. Harrison has an anti-Pakistan mindset and has tried to deform the facts in his article to sensitize the situation.” (ANI)