24 May 2004	Monday	04 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

GILGIT, May 23: The Chinese government will set up communication infrastructure and provide electricity from its western Kashghar city to the newly-established Khunjerab checkpoint at 16,000-foot high Khunjerab Zero Point , official sources said on Sunday.

The Chinese authorities, led by Wang Guangxi, who is the chief of Kashghar police, military command, held a series of meetings at Kashghar with the Northern Areas police and Khunjerab Security Force chiefs during a three-day official visit to China last week.

The Pakistani delegation headed by Inspector-General of Police, Sakhiullah Tareen, discussed in detail various matters pertaining to the illegal border crossing, smuggling of weapons and drugs and other issues.

They expressed satisfaction over the warm and friendly ties between the two countries. Mr Tareen also thanked his Chinese counterpart for returning 15 yaks, which had entered Chinese territory from Pakistan side.

Intervention: Nationalist leaders of Gilgit and Baltistan have opposed any idea which could damage the identity of the region.

Reacting to a recently concluded conference on Kashmir held in Gilgit, nationalist leader Haider Shah Rizvi said that the speeches and the resolutions passed during the conference smacked of a conspiracy against the region as Kashmiri leaders and those of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) strived their best to distort the facts and figures about Gilgit-Baltistan.

"The swashbuckling leaders (of AJK and MMA) delivered lies in abundance and distorted the historical facts," Mr Rizvi remarked. He said that the conference holders lacked moral courage and did not invite the genuine leaders of Gilgit and Baltistan for fear of exposing the whole show and a backlash.