Terror attack near Besham: Govt to pay $2.5m compensation to Chinese nationals’ heirs

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is to pay compensation of about $2.5 million to the heirs of five Chinese nationals who lost their lives in terror attack near Besham, Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) on March 25, 2024, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sources said, scheduled to visit Beijing next month with hopes of furthering cooperation in every field and launch of the second phase of CPEC, has directed the concerned authorities that compensatory payments to Chinese victims of Besham incident be cleared forthwith.

Chinese government had asked for a thorough probe into the deadly terrorist attack on a bus carrying its nationals working on Dasu hydropower project and to provide fool proof security of its citizens after the deadly attack.

Terror attacks on engineers: China’s HEI issues ‘force majeure’ notice

The Government of Pakistan had strongly condemned the heinous act of terrorism, and promised China that the government will take all necessary measures to bring the terrorists and their facilitators to justice.

Later on, it was claimed by Islamabad that terrorists came from Afghanistan. Some arrests have also been made in this regard.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated the Besham terrorist attack (that claimed six lives including of five Chinese nationals) was a “conscious effort” to sow discord between Pakistan and strategic allies and partners, most notably China.

The government has sacked a few security and Police officials for their failure to provide required security to the bus carrying Chinese nationals.

Earlier this month, ISPR spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif said at a press conference that a suicide bomb attack in March in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Besham, that killed five Chinese engineers, was planned in neighbouring Afghanistan, and that the bomber was an Afghan national. However, Taliban Defence Ministry rejected Pakistan’s claim that Afghans were involved in an attack on Chinese engineers.

In January 2022, Pakistan paid $11.6 million to 36 Chinese nationals (dead and injured) in a terror attack on Dasu hydropower project.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024