Pakistan will ensure security of Chinese nationals, president assures envoy

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday assured the Ambassador of China to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to ensure the security of Chinese nationals working on different projects in Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Ambassador Zaidong called on President Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr where the two discussed matters of mutual interest, besides underscoring the need to increase counterterrorism cooperation and intelligence sharing to overcome the menace of terrorism.

The president assured the ambassador that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to ensure the security of our Chinese nationals who are working on different projects in Pakistan.

At least five Chinese nationals were among the six that were killed in a suicide bomb blast on Karakoram highway in Bisham on March 26.

District Inspector General (DIG) of Malakand told media that a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of foreign nationals which was on its way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, Shangla.

Taking notice of the bombing, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later directed authorities concerned to ensure the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

The prime minister issued these directives while presiding over a high-level security meeting in Islamabad. The meeting was briefed on the security of the Chinese nationals in the country.

The premier directed the interior ministry and other law enforcement departments to take measures to improve the law and order situation in the country immediately.

“Attempts to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are not acceptable at all,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said in the meeting.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on April 1 that the remains of the five Chinese victims who were killed in a terrorist attack on Dasu project in Pakistan were brought back to China on a Pakistani military plane.

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Chaudhry Salik Hussain arrived in Wuhan on a special plane that brought the mortal remains of five Chinese personnel.