Pakistan is satisfied with China’s explanation of the Uighur issue said Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday. He was speaking to Chinese journalists against the backdrop of the centenary celebrations of the Communist Party.

"Because of our extreme proximity and relationship with China, we actually accept the Chinese version," he said.

The prime minister has previously come under attack for not taking a stronger stance on the plight of the Uighur Muslims in China who are reportedly detained in camps, disallowed from practicing their religion openly and persecuted against. China denies these claims.

In his talk on Thursday, Khan referred to Western reporting of the Uighur situation in China as hypocritical because the same press did not cover the human rights violation in Kashmir.

"There are much worse human rights violations taking place in other parts of the world such as in occupied Kashmir. But Western media hardly comments on this," he said.

Khan also congratulated the Communist Party on its centenary and said they had created a unique model of governance.

"They have beaten all Western democracies in the way they have highlighted merit in society," he said.

Human rights group accuse China of detaining up to 1 million Uighur in detention camps against their will, forced abortions of women, and imprisoning hundreds of thousands.

China denies these charges and described the camps as “re-education camps” which it says are “voluntary schools for anti-extremism training.”

In an interview to China’s state television CGTN on Wednesday, Khan spoke of Pakistan’s special relationship with China and described it as a friend. He also said the relationship would not change no matter “how much pressure is put on us.”

This was a reference to the increasing rivalry between the US and China.

"Pakistan thinks it is very unfair for the US or other powers – western power" to pressurise "countries like us to take sides" he said.

"Why should we take sides? We should have good relations with everyone. It is not going to happen if pressure is put on Pakistan to change its relationship or downgrade its relationship with China, it wouldn’t happen."

China is a major investor in Pakistan with its $60bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which connects China’s Xinjiang province to Gwadar Port in Balochistan. It is part of China’s multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative.