Uygur militants 'eliminated' from Pakistan, claims minister
Islamabad says it has eliminated movement China blames for attacks in restive Xinjiang
Pakistan has eliminated all members of the Uygur militant group the East Turkestan Islamic Movement from its territory, but must remain vigilant to ensure they do not return, the country's defence minister said in Beijing yesterday.
China blames the movement for carrying out attacks in its far western Xinjiang region, home to the Muslim Uygur people, although many foreign experts doubt its existence in a cohesive group.
China, Pakistan's only major ally in the region, has long urged Islamabad to weed out what it says are militants from Xinjiang, who are holed up in a lawless tribal belt, home to a lethal mix of militant groups, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
"We believe they're all eliminated," Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on the sidelines of a security forum. "There [were] a small number in tribal areas, they're all gone or eliminated. There are no more there."
It was in Pakistan's interests as in China's to fight Uygur militants, Asif said, denying there was any difference of opinion between Beijing and Islamabad on Pakistan's efforts to tackle the problem.
