Civil-military leadership vows to probe attack that killed Chinese nationals

ISLAMABAD: An emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the aftermath of the Besham terrorist attack on Chinese nationals working on the Dassu Hydel Power Project expressed serious concerns over sanctuaries available to terrorists across the borders and emphasized the need for a regional approach for countering terrorism.

Participants of the meeting expressed their resolute commitment to completely rooting out terrorism from the country and reiterated to comprehensively combat terrorism, employing all resources available to the state, a statement issued by the PM media wing said.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers, Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, chief ministers, chief secretaries and Inspector Generals of Police of respective provinces to discuss the heinous attack on innocent civilians working on a development project meant to contribute to energy and water security of Pakistan.

The prime minister underscored the enduring bond of brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and China and conveyed that the whole nation was saddened by the loss of Chinese lives. He appreciated the alacrity with which law enforcement agencies and locals responded to the attack, saving many precious lives which could have been lost. The PM instructed for a thorough joint investigation to be conducted, utilizing all resources of the state.

Shehbaz said that terrorism is a transnational threat that has been instrumentalized 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,” the prime minister said. He offered his deepest condolences to the families of innocent victims of the attack and assured them that the perpetrators of this barbaric act would be brought to justice swiftly.

COAS General Syed Asim Munir reiterated the resolve of armed forces to eliminate the scourge of terrorism afflicting the country. The COAS stated that the nation had steadfastly fought the war on terror for the last two decades and had defeated the nefarious designs of Pakistan’s adversaries. Noting the recent surge in terrorist incidents, the COAS remarked that the enemies of Pakistan had once again underestimated the resilience and grit of the state and the people of Pakistan. “We shall fight terrorism till every terrorist casting an evil eye on Pakistan, its people and their guests is eliminated; we shall not leave any stone unturned to ensure that every foreign citizen, especially the Chinese nationals contributing to the prosperity of Pakistan, is safe and secure in Pakistan. We shall fight terrorism with all our might, to the very end,” the COAS said.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Pakistan and China have the determination and ability to make terrorists pay the price for their actions and any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan cooperation will not succeed. Lin made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a terrorist attack. “We strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep sympathy for the victims and extend sincere condolences to the bereaved families,” Lin said.

Noting that some other countries have also condemned the attack and expressed sympathy for the Chinese victims, Lin said China is grateful for that. He said that immediately after the incident, China’s foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Pakistan triggered an emergency response mechanism. They have maintained close contact with the Pakistani side in Beijing and Islamabad, requesting that Pakistan accelerate the hunt for and subsequent punishment of the terrorists, seek justice for the victims and take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country.

The Pakistani side pledged that it would investigate the attack thoroughly, provide the Chinese side with timely updates on the progress of the investigation and take further, comprehensive measures to improve the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, Lin said. He reiterated China’s stance on terrorism that terrorism is the common enemy of all human beings and it is the shared responsibility of the international community to combat terrorism and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.

China firmly supports Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, Lin said. China will continue to support Pakistan’s economic development, social development and improvement of its people’s livelihoods, he added, and it will undertake firm cooperation with Pakistan in various fields to bring benefits to the two peoples.

Meanwhile, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday registered the first information report (FIR) of the attack on the convoy of Chinese nationals working on the Dasu Hydropower Project in Upper Kohistan. The FIR included sections of the anti-terrorism law. The FIR was registered after the police sent a letter to the CTD.

Five Chinese and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide attack on their convoy in Besham tehsil in the Shangla district on Tuesday. A suicide bomber had rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy carrying the Chinese workers.

Meanwhile, a video of the attack on the bus went viral on social media. A vehicle can be seen approaching the bus from Kohistan’s side on the Karakoram Highway and the explosion occurred when it hit the bus carrying Chinese nationals.

In a related development, a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will be formed for an investigation into the terrorist attack on Chinese engineers in Besham.

Sharing details of the meeting at a news conference in Islamabad, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the meeting recognized the importance of adopting a coordinated strategy to curb terrorism. He said a mechanism will be devised under this strategy to ensure greater coordination amongst the relevant stakeholders.

The information minister said the meeting applauded the role of security forces in the war on terrorism. He said the participants of the meeting were on the same page that no stone will be left unturned to eradicate terrorism. The whole nation is united in the war on terrorism reaffirming that every possible step will be taken for the security of important installations by Chinese citizens and the Pakistani people.

Attaullah Tarar said anti-Pakistan elements want to hurt the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and China but they will fail in their designs. He said this everlasting relationship will remain intact. The information minister said China has always stood by Pakistan in difficult times. The country has always supported Pakistan’s stance at the international fora. He said the CPEC is our lifeline and guarantor of economic development. He said Pakistan shares the grief and sorrow of the Chinese people at this hour of grief.

Responding to a question regarding the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar said there are SOPs in this regard and all-out steps are being taken to ensure their implementation. “However following Tuesday’s incident we are identifying any loopholes in the SOPs or their implementation,” he said.

To another question, the minister said the federal government is closely engaged with the provincial governments of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the security issue. He mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Balochistan chief minister to expedite work on Gwadar safe city project being funded by the federal government and in this regard, the chief minister will visit Gwadar today (Thursday). He said a counter terrorism force will be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the pattern of the state-of-the-art CTD force of Punjab.

To a question about Afghanistan’s involvement in terror incidents in Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar said the prime minister has already made it clear that any use of soil against Pakistan will be thwarted. “We continue to emphasise peace in the region and resolve issues through negotiations.”

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari visited the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China Wednesday and offered condolences on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan over the killing of Chinese citizens in a terrorist attack in Besham.

Upon his arrival, President Asif Ali Zardari was received by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong. The secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also present on the occasion. Zardari strongly condemned the Tuesday’s terrorist attack, saying that the Pakistani nation shared the grief of Chinese people. He added that the people of Pakistan stood in solidarity with the Chinese people in this hour of grief.

The president said that enemies in the region couldn’t accept the fact that Pakistan and China were further strengthening their bilateral ties. He assured the Chinese ambassador that the criminals involved in the gruesome act would be brought to justice. He further said that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure the security of Chinese citizens working on various projects in Pakistan.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong thanked the president for personally visiting the Embassy to offer condolences. He appreciated that Pakistanis from all walks of life had condemned the terrorist attack. Zaidong highlighted that Chinese workers had made outstanding contributions to Pakistan’s socio-economic development.

He said that terrorists were enemies of humanity and needed to be hunted down for targeting innocent people. He underscored the need for increasing counter-terrorism cooperation and providing enhanced security to Chinese workers in Pakistan. The ambassador reiterated his country’s resolve to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan and continue its support for CPEC and other projects.

While registering his remarks in the visitors book at the Chinese Embassy, President Asif Ali Zardari said that the inhuman attack struck at the core of shared values and the enduring friendship between the two countries. “This incident was orchestrated by the enemies of Pakistan-China friendship,” he added. He also wrote that Pakistan would never allow terrorists to undermine our shared goals for peace, prosperity and security in the region.