ISLAMABAD, June 21, Reuter: India’s controversial air drop of relief supplies over northern Sir Lanka will figure in talks during Chinese Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang’s visit to Pakistan which began today, a Pakistani spokesman said.
Zhao, who is also acting Cornmunist Party Chief, arrived for a four day visit that includes meetings with President Mohammad ZiaulHaq and Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo.
A foreign ministry spokesman told reporters the talks would cover global and regional matters. They would include Afghanistan as well as South Asia, “more particularly after what India did in Sri Lanka” he added.
Pakistan and China have both sharply criticized India’s June 4 air drop of emergency supplies to the Tamil population of Sri Lanka’s Jaffna peninsula without Colombo’s permission.
New Delhi said it conducted the operation because the government’s military drive against Tamil separatist rebels was causing mass suffering among the civilians. Colombo denied the charge.
Pakistan denounced the action as a grave violation of the principle of noninterference, and China told India last Tuesday to stay out of what it said was an internal Sri Lankan matter.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1987
