Killing of foreign tourists, an attack on country's image, says Nisar

Talking to media persons after receiving the bodies of climbers here at Chaklala Airbase along with the ambassadors of China and Ukraine, and deputy mission of Nepal, Nisar said the terrorists wanted to give a message to the world that Pakistan was not a safe country for foreigners, but they failed to achieve their propose.

The government will not only protect its citizens but also the foreigners and is evolving a strategy to tackle the issue in an effective manner, he added.

The minister said there was a need of collective action by all the law enforcement agencies for peace and security in the country. The government will take steps ensuring that there is no space for militants even in no remote areas, he added.

He said the Pakistan Army personnel had retrieved the dead bodies of climbers at the height of over 6,500 feet, where even a normal helicopter could not approach.

He said four out of the ten bodies had been identified so far. They included two Chinese, one Nepalese and an American passport holder Chinese.

Nisar said the National Assembly on Sunday unanimously adopted a resolution to condemn the killing of climbers and efforts were underway to arrest the culprits.

The senior ministers will go along with the bodies of foreign climbers to their respective countries for expressing solidarity with them, he added.

A Gilgit-Biltistan minister, who accompanied the bodies, told APP that two survivors of the terror incident- a Chinese and a Nepalese, also travelled with the bodies.

The climbers were staying at the base camp for Nanga Parbat, which with 8,126 metres (26,660 feet) is the second highest mountain of Pakistan and the ninth highest of the world.