India may be behind killing of Chinese citizen in Karachi: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said India might be behind the recent murder of a Chinese national in Karachi, ARY News reported.

“Pakistan has established a strong force of ten thousand personnel for protection of Chinese citizens but neighbouring India which has undue apprehensions (on CPEC) may be behind the killing,” he said while answering a question about the killing of Chinese citizen during an interview with the BBC.

A Chinese national was gunned down in a “targeted attack” in Karachi on February 5.

Ahsan Iqbal said Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadev who was under arrest on charges of espionage had also admitted that an Indian spy network was working to sabotage the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Read More: China urges Pakistan to solve Chinese citizen’s killing

The interior minister said the US administration had hinted that economic aid to Pakistan would not be stopped.

“Different lobbies are working in the US and want to introduce bills in US Congress of their own choice,” he said.

He said the US was using different war tactics in Afghanistan according to its new policy.

The minister said the geography of Pakistan and Afghanistan was the same and Pakistan was the only important and supportive country for the United States in the region.

Regarding safe havens, he quoted the US as saying that 45 percent of Afghan territory was under control of extremists and there was no reason for them to have sanctuaries in Pakistan.

A surprise New Year’s day tweet by US President Donald Trump, in which he appeared to decree an end to US aid for Pakistan, had temporarily deteriorated relations between the allies.