Daily Times

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Monday extended heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to the government and the people of the People’s Republic of China, particularly the bereaved families of Dasu incident victims.

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong called on Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at General Headquarters (GHQ) here, said an ISPR news release.

In wake of the recent Dasu bus incident involving Chinese citizens, the COAS expressed sincere condolences to the government and the people of the People’s Republic of China.

The COAS said Pakistan Army greatly values its brotherly relations with the time-tested friend and also assured full support and cooperation and security of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan. “While we work for peace, we need to stay strong to thwart designs of all inimical forces challenging our resolve particularly those threatening China-Pakistan strategic cooperation,” he said. Both agreed on need for continuous engagement and coordination for peace and stability in the region.

The meeting comes days after a shuttle bus carrying Chinese engineers plunged into a deep ravine after an explosion on board. At least 13 people including nine Chinese nationals were killed in the tragic incident. The bus was ferrying the Chinese and Pakistani workers to an under-construction tunnel site of the Dasu Hydropower Project in the remote Kohistan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had also spoken with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang and assured him that the government of Pakistani would spare no effort to fully investigate the incident. “He [prime minister] assured that no effort would be spared to fully investigate the incident,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office detailing the telephone call between the two premiers had said.