Daily Times

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that there remains no doubt that the suicide attack in Besham was orchestrated by enemies of Pakistan-China friendship.

FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch addressed a weekly press briefing and said Pakistan was in touch with China following the “heinous attack”.

She reiterated that Pakistan was “fully committed to bringing terrorists, and their facilitators and abettors to justice”.

“Such despicable attacks further strengthen Pakistan’s resolve in fighting terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations,” she added.

Baloch termed the two neighbouring nations “close friends and iron brothers.”

“Together, we will resolutely act against all such acts and forces and defeat them,”added the spokesperson.

She further expressed Islamabad’s determination to work with Beijing in ensuring the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan.

A vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in the remote Besham area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, killing six people.

The Chinese engineers were en route from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu – the district headquarters of the Upper Kohistan district of K-P. Their vehicle was hit by an explosive-laden vehicle, coming from the opposite direction, near Lahore Nala on the Karakoram Highway.

Malakand Deputy Inspector General Muhammad Ali Gandapur confirmed the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

The Chinese engineers’ vehicle was thrown off the mountainous road into a deep ravine by the impact of the blast, killing all six on board, including five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver. The security forces reached the spot, shut the strategic highway for traffic on both sides and launched an investigation.

The very next day Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed for a thorough joint investigation into the Besham terrorist attack utilising all state resources.

Chairing an emergency meeting following the attack, the prime minister praised the swift response of law enforcement and locals, which saved many lives.

The meeting was attended by the federal ministers, chief of the army staff, chief ministers, chief secretaries and inspector generals of police of respective provinces, a PM Office press release said.

The premier said, “Terrorism is a transnational threat that has been instrumentalised by the enemies of Pakistan to stymie Pakistan’s progress and development. The acts targeting Pakistan-China friendship are particularly aimed at creating mistrust between the two iron brothers.”