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Pakistan

Beijing demands ‘severe punishment’ for perpetrators of attack on Chinese engineers in KP

  • Five Chinese nationals killed as bomber rams explosives-laden vehicle into convoy of engineers on its way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu in KP
  • Pakistani driver also killed in attack
  • PM Shehbaz visits Chinese embassy and sympathises with bereaved families
Published March 26, 2024
Security personnel inspect the site of a suicide attack near Besham city in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on March 26, 2024. Five Chinese nationals working on a major dam construction site were killed along with their driver on March 26 when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in northwest Pakistan, officials said. Photo: AFP
Security personnel inspect the site of a suicide attack near Besham city in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on March 26, 2024. Five Chinese nationals working on a major dam construction site were killed along with their driver on March 26 when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in northwest Pakistan, officials said. Photo: AFP

China has demanded a thorough investigation and severe punishment for the perpetrators of the attack on a convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla on Tuesday.

The development comes after a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, killing six people, police said, the third major attack on Chinese interests in the South Asian country in a week.

The first two attacks hit a naval base and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects.

The engineers were on their way from Islamabad to their camp at the dam construction site in Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, the regional police chief, told Reuters.

“Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” Gandapur said.

In a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Beijing condemned the terrorist attack and demanded a thorough investigation from Pakistan.

“The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan remind Chinese citizens, enterprises in Pakistan to pay close attention to the security situation, enhance security alerts, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions,” it added.

PM Shehbaz offers condolence

Taking notice of the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese embassy and conveyed condolences over the killing of Chinese nationals in the Bisham terrorist attack.

According to a press release from the PM’s Office, the prime minister, in an interaction with the Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, sympathised with the bereaved families of the slain Chinese nationals and assured a swift and high-level probe into the incident.

The premier was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.

“We will not let such nefarious attempts to undermine the Pak-China friendship succeed. The enemies of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have again tried to interrupt it through such cowardly attempt but the enemy will never succeed in its evil designs,” the prime minister remarked.

The Chinese ambassador thanked the prime minister for visiting the embassy and showing personal interest in the investigation of the incident. He also appreciated the prime minister’s determination to maintain Pak-China friendly ties.

Dasu is the site of a major dam and the area has been attacked in the past. A blast on a bus killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, in 2021.

Chinese engineers have been working on a number of projects in Pakistan with Beijing investing over $65 billion in infrastructure as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under its wider Belt and Road initiative.

No one claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, nor was there a claim for the 2021 attack.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had reached the spot and started relief operations.

A separate police source told Reuters the convoy was carrying staff of the construction firm China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) working on the Dasu hydropower project – the same company targeted in 2021.

Construction work ceased for months after that attack.

The attacks come a week before Prime Minister Shehbaz is expected to fly to Beijing, according to a source in the Prime Minister’s Office. It will be his first visit since taking office following February elections.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Dar also condemned the attack, and said the country would continue to fight back against militants.

Army condemns attack on Chinese nationals

The Army denounced the attack on a Chinese engineers convoy and declared that it would hold those responsible for any direct or indirect support of terrorism accountable.

According to the statement, militants’ first two attempts were successfully thwarted by the armed forces, but the latest incident at Bisham resulted in the deaths of 6 civilians, including 5 Chinese nationals.

“Strategic projects and sensitive sites vital for Pakistan’s economic progress and the well-being of its people are being targeted as a conscious effort to retard our progress and sow discord between Pakistan and its strategic allies and partners, most notably China,” ISPR said.

The statement went on to say that certain foreign elements are complicit in aiding and abetting terrorism in Pakistan, driven by their vested interests.

Comments

Comments are closed.

KU Mar 26, 2024 03:26pm
Fool proof security? I think we should accept the fact that only our leaders and their elite servants are safe, everyone else is a fair game for terrorists. What a shame, it never seems to end.
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Notsurprised Mar 26, 2024 03:47pm
Horrible. Army needs to step up their game and rid us of this curse of terrorists once and for all! How can we face our Chinese friends now? We bow our heads in shame.
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test Mar 26, 2024 04:07pm
Elite has a history of destroying our own economy,infrastructure,investment etc Elite is the cause of every single destruction I know "This attack is carried out by the elite class to beg for dollars"
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Mustafa Mar 26, 2024 05:50pm
@test, economy has been destroyed by people reproducing huge population & not paying taxes. security has been there, our neighbour is a shameless country & shame on those who freed them from jail (PTI
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Re=== Mar 26, 2024 08:35pm
CPEC is all but dead. If, with all the military protection, Pakistan cannot secure Chinese workers, why will businessmen come and invest in CPEC? Its over. Businesses have options other than Pak
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JeM Mar 26, 2024 09:17pm
We are Pakistanis. We must ensure a swift retort response to break the back of the perpetrators.
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JeM Mar 26, 2024 09:21pm
We should respond with never seen before response to the enemies of the prosperity of Pakistan.
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KU Mar 26, 2024 10:06pm
Although our police and FIA have a reputation, it is logical to give them the objective of cleaning this mess. They have very strong grass-root presence, but need resources and support to do it.
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Az_Iz Mar 26, 2024 10:06pm
Very sad. Condolences to those who died.
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KhanRA Mar 27, 2024 01:50am
You cannot control the situation until you get rid of religious intolerance, which will mean a complete reeducation of society that will take at least 25 years. People need to be taught that they cannot impose their religious beliefs onto other people.
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