BEIJING - China has vehemently denied that Pakistan was targeted on the issue of counter-terrorism in any manner whatsoever in the joint declaration issued at the end of the BRICS summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen.

Pakistan’s name was not even mentioned in the text of the declaration. There is no question of any change in China’s consistent policy supporting Pakistan on counter-terrorism, said Chinese diplomatic sources here on Wednesday.

The terrorist organizations mentioned in the declaration were the same listed by the United Nations, there was nothing new, the sources said adding, the security concern shown by the BRICS’s member countries were only confined to the situation in Afghanistan. 

Clarifying the actual position, the sources drew the attention towards the joint declaration that stressed on the need for immediate end of violence in Afghanistan and expressed “concern” over the security situation in the region.

China strongly believes that terrorism should not be linked with any particular country or religion.

China has time and again urged the world community to recognize and appreciate Pakistan’s sacrifices in rooting out terrorism.

The sources emphasized that no country should claim any victory in respect of the contents mentioned in the joint declaration. BRICS was a multilateral forum that took a unanimous position on the issue of common concern.

They recalled that China has promptly reacted in support of Pakistan after US President Donald Trump, while announcing the new Afghan policy, said the United States could no longer be silent about Pakistan’s alleged ‘safe havens’ for militants.

It was stated by the Chinese said that Pakistan was on the front line in the struggle against terrorism and had made ‘great sacrifices’ and ‘important contributions’ in the fight.