Daily Times

At least six people, including five Chinese nationals, were killed in an explosion when their convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber in the Bisham area of Shangla district on Tuesday, a top police officer said.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers which was on its way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said DIG Malakand Mohammad Ali Gandapur. “Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” Gandapur confirmed.

A large contingent of law enforcers reached the site soon after the attack and cordoned off the area. Traffic on the route has come to a standstill as authorities investigate the attack.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, and met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang?Zaidong to offer condolence over the death of Chinese nationals in the suicide attack. Once again, the adversaries of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have plotted to disrupt it through such cowardly acts,” Sharif said in a statement.

“However, they will never succeed in their malevolent ambitions.” In a statement, the Chinese embassy strongly condemned the terrorist attack, requesting the Pakistani side to thoroughly investigate the attack and severely punish the perpetrators.

“The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families, and are making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side,” it said.

It said the Chinese embassy and consulates general in Pakistan have launched an emergency plan immediately, adding that the Chinese side is taking all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan, and to ensure such incidents will not happen again.

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.

In July 2021, nine Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis were killed and around two dozen others suffered injuries when a shuttle bus they were travelling in plunged into a deep ravine after an explosion on board.

A statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the Bisham incident and other recent terrorist incidents in Turbat and Gwadar were “dastardly acts aimed at destabilising the internal security situation”. “The whole nation stands in solidarity with our Chinese brothers and unequivocally condemns this cowardly act.

“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.

“Certain foreign elements are complicit in aiding and abetting terrorism in Pakistan, driven by their vested interests. Despite the veneer of innocence, these elements are being continuously exposed as sponsors of terror,” the ISPR said.

It added that such “heinous acts of violence” against innocent civilians, foreigners and the armed forces would not deter the resolve of the Pakistani people, security forces and the country’s partners to “root out the menace [of] terrorism from our country”.

“Pakistan, as the frontline state against terror, remains perhaps the only nation directly confronting the international terrorist enterprise with absolute steadfastness and full resolve of the state. “With the unwavering support of the resilient nation and our iron-clad ally China, we will ensure that all those involved in aiding terrorism, directly or indirectly, are held accountable and find their due comeuppance. Together we will prevail over adversity and evil,” the ISPR concluded.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office (FO) also said Pakistan strongly condemned the heinous act of terrorism and said the country would take “all necessary measures to bring the terrorists and their facilitators to justice”. It added that “such dastardly acts cannot dent the resolve of Pakistani nation to fight against the scourge of terrorism.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to undertake an official visit to China next month as part of efforts to give a renewed push to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship programme of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but the latest terrorist attack is likely to overshadow the economic agenda.