PAKISTAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT CHINA ISLAMABAD, JAN 1 (KUNA) -- PAKISTAN PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF IS TO LEAVE FOR BEIJING ON THURSDAY FOR TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERS ON BORDER TENSION WITH INDIA, A FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL TOLD JOURNALISTS TODAY.
"PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF WILL HOLD TALKS WITH CHINESE PRIME MINISTER ZHU RONGJI ON THURSDAY. HE WILL ALSO ATTEND A BANQUET BEING HOSTED BY THE CHINESE PREMIER FOR HIM AT THE GREAT HALL," THE OFFICIAL SAID.
AFTER AN OVERNIGHT STAY IN CHINA HE WILL FLY TO KATHMANDU ON FRIDAY MORNING TO ATTEND A SUMMIT OF THE SEVEN-NATION SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC).
MUSHARRAF'S TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERS WILL FOCUS ON BILATERAL RELATIONS AS WELL AS ON TENSION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA FOLLOWING THE BLOODY DECEMBER 13 ATTACK ON THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT, THE OFFICIAL SAID.
INDIA HAS SAID IT WOULD ALLOW MUSHARRAF TO FLY OVER ITS TERRITORY EN ROUTE TO THE SUMMIT IF A REQUEST IS MADE.
BUT OFFICIALS HERE SAID THE PRESIDENT DID NOT WANT TO ACCEPT AN OFFER THAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO OTHER PAKISTANIS. (END) SJA.BS KUNA 011858 Jan 02NNNN