Safety of Chinese nationals top priority for govt: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reiterated that the security and safety of Chinese nationals is the top priority of the incumbent government, ARY News reported.

Talking to a delegation of representatives from Chinese companies in Pakistan, who called on him in Islamabad today, the prime minister said all possible steps are being taken to provide foolproof security to Chinese citizens.

PM Shehbaz encouraged the Chinese companies to set up industries in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under business to business arrangement. He invited Chinese textile industry to set up their industrial units in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister said the focus of his upcoming visit to China will be CPEC-II and further development of economic relations between Pakistan and China. He said for the next phase of CPEC, we have to provide the best technical training to our workforce.

He said the way China lifted 700 million people out of poverty is an inspiration for Pakistan. “We also want to get benefit from China’s experience in terms of increasing exports.”

He further said China should help Pakistan in the light of its experiences in delivering Pakistan’s exports to China and other countries in the region.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan is committed to the strategy of increasing agricultural production using innovation and technology in the agriculture sector. Pakistan wants to benefit from the expertise of China’s IT industry for the development of the IT sector.

Inviting Chinese companies to set up electric and hybrid vehicle plants in Pakistan, the Prime Minister directed to resolve all problems of Chinese companies.

The representatives of Chinese companies expressed their determination to further expand their business and investment in Pakistan.

At least five Chinese nationals were killed in a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Shangla distrct.

The five Chinese engineers — and their Pakistani driver — were killed in the suicide bombing, while travelling between Islamabad and a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The bus was attacked in the Bisham city of KP’s Shangla district.

Read more: ‘Bisham suicide attack on Chinese nationals was planned in Afghanistan’

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

“Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” the police officer said.