Daily Times

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered disciplinary action against senior police officers for “negligence” in light of an inquiry report on the Shangla district attack that killed five Chinese nationals.

Addressing media in Lahore, Tarar said the prime minister had constituted an inquiry committee on the March 26 attack on a vehicle carrying Chinese engineers to the Dasu Hydropower Project.

“The PM has directed to take action against the regional police officer (RPO) Hazara Division; district police officer of Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan; director security, Dasu Hydropower Project and commandant special security unit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 15 days,” he said. The inquiry committee was formed to probe the matter and identify the lapses in security protocol.

At least six people including five Chinese engineers working on the Dasu project were killed in the suicide attack that took place on the Karakoram Highway in the Bisham area, Shangla district. They were travelling from Islamabad to the dam construction site in the Dasu area of the Upper Kohistan district. Highlighting the swift response of the Pakistani authorities, Tarar said the PM immediately went to the Chinese consulate after the incident and also personally visited Dasu area to boost the morale of Chinese engineers.

“We want peace in the region but our desire should not be misconstrued as a weakness. We are taking the matter of the security of the Chinese very seriously. PM Shehbaz is himself overseeing security of the Chinese projects and engineers,” he said adding that the nation’s morale was high and they would not let anyone destroy the peace. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities concerned to provide Chinese nationals with foolproof security in Pakistan.

Presiding over a meeting regarding the law and order in Islamabad on Friday, the premier ordered to devise a comprehensive action plan for regular audit of security standard operating procedures. He said he would personally oversee the meetings about the security of Chinese nationals every month.

The meeting was attended by the federal interior minister, heads of security institutes and relevant authorities. PM Shehbaz was briefed about the comprehensive security situation in the country. He vowed to continue waging war against terrorism till its annihilation.

He also directed the interior ministry to boost cooperation with the provincial anti-terrorism departments.