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.