When the attack occurred, Chinese citizens were constructing the Dasu Hydropower Project (data map)
Islamabad:
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday ordered a thorough joint investigation into deadly terrorist attacks on Chinese citizens, with Beijing urging Islamabad to speed up the hunt for the perpetrators and take effective measures to protect Chinese personnel working in the country.
Six people, including five Chinese nationals, were killed on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives rammed into their bus in the troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for the first time in 2021 A second suicide attack targeted workers at a Chinese-backed hydropower project.
The Chinese are building the Dasu hydropower project, which is about 300 kilometers north of Islamabad. The 4,320-MW project is being built by China Gezhouba with funding from the World Bank.
Prime Minister Sharif directed a joint investigation while chairing an emergency meeting in Islamabad, a day after the Besham terror attack on Chinese citizens working at the Dasu Haider power project, Radio Pakistan reported.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers, Army Chief General Asim Munir, provincial chief ministers, chief secretaries and inspector general of police.
Participants discussed the heinous attacks on innocent civilians working on development projects aimed at contributing to Pakistan’s energy and water security.
The Prime Minister expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the attack and assured them that “the perpetrators of this barbaric act will be brought swiftly to justice”.
He stressed the enduring brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and China and said people across the country were saddened by the loss of Chinese lives.
Sharif appreciated the quick response of security agencies and local people to the attack, which saved many precious lives that might have been lost.
He further said that terrorism is a transnational threat and Pakistan’s enemies use terrorism to hinder Pakistan’s progress and development, adding that actions against Pakistan-China friendship are aimed at creating distrust between the two “iron brothers” .
“We ask Pakistan to speed up the pursuit of the perpetrators, punish them in accordance with the law, provide justice to the victims, and take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese personnel,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing. In Pakistan.
When answering reporters’ questions, Lin said that Pakistan is committed to thoroughly investigating the incident, promptly reporting the progress of the investigation, strengthening the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, and ensuring the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan. at a ministry briefing.
Meanwhile, participants in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sharif expressed their strong commitment to eradicate terrorism from the country and expressed serious concern over the provision of safe haven to terrorists across borders, stressing the need for a regional approach to counter-terrorism.
On the occasion, Chief of Army Staff General Munir reiterated the determination of the armed forces to eradicate the scourge of terrorism plaguing the country. He said that over the past two decades, Pakistan has unswervingly carried out the war on terrorism and thwarted the evil intentions of Pakistan’s opponents.
He pointed out that with the recent surge in terrorist incidents, Pakistan’s enemies have once again underestimated the resilience and courage of the Pakistani country and people.
He vowed to “fight terrorism until every terrorist with ill intentions against Pakistan, its people and guests is eliminated”.
He further stated that he would spare no effort to ensure the safety of every foreign citizen, especially Chinese citizens, who contributes to Pakistan’s prosperity in Pakistan. “We will fight terrorism with all our might until the very end,” he said.
At the end of the meeting, participants reiterated their determination to use all national resources to comprehensively combat terrorism.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Federal Information Minister Atta Talal said at a press conference after the meeting that the Pakistani government has decided to investigate the suicide bombing through a joint investigation team.
“This is our clear message that we will not rest until terrorism is eradicated. The Prime Minister expressed this determination and we want to convey this message: be it our Chinese friends, our sensitive installations or any citizen of Pakistan, We will all take all possible measures to protect them and will spare no effort to eradicate terrorism.” Talal further said that for the safety of Chinese citizens, standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been formulated. The KPK police counter-terrorism unit investigating the suicide bombing submitted a preliminary report to the provincial government on Tuesday.
Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on various projects under the auspices of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
