Shangla attack: Pakistan asks Afghanistan to hand over TTP terrorists

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday demanded the Taliban government in Afghanistan to hand over outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) terrorists, involved in attack on Chinese nationals in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), ARY News reported.

At least six people including five Chinese nationals 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.

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

Following the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed to conduct a thorough joint investigation into Shangla suicide attack on Chinese nationals, utilising all resources of the state.

Chairing a high level emergency meeting in the aftermath of Shangla terrorist attack on Chinese nationals, the prime minister appreciated the alacrity with which law enforcement agencies and locals responded to the attack, saving many precious lives which could have been lost.

“Terrorism is a trans-national 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,” he stated.

Addressing a press conference along with officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta) today, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan has taken up the issue with Afghan interim government and urged them to take action against terrorist activities being carried out from their soil.

The interior minister said that the TTP orchestrated the Shangala terror attack from inside Afghanistan. “We have requested the interim government in Afghanistan to arrest the leadership of banned TTP,” he added.

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

Briefing journalists about the progress of the probe, Mohsin Naqvi said: “Probe agencies have prepared an investigation report,” noting that they had concrete evidence that the TTP used Afghan soil to carry out the terror attack on Chinese engineers.

He also said they wanted friendly ties with Kabul, adding that “it is only possible if they cooperate with Islamabad”.

The interior minister noted that Pakistan gave great importance to its ties with China, adding that both friendly nations support each other at different global forums. “The security of Chinese nationals is very important to us.”

Meanwhile, National Coordinator NACTA, Rai Tahir said that investigations into the Bisham attack progressed with recovery of a mobile phone near the vehicle used in the attack.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.