Rasheed, Chinese minister discuss Dasu tragedy over phone

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed held a telephonic conversation with China’s public security minister on Saturday and discussed with him progress thus far made in an investigation into the Dasu bus explosion in which at least 13 people, mostly Chinese nationals, were killed.

During a telephone call lasting more than half an hour, both ministers agreed on completing the investigation at the earliest. They reiterated that no hostile power could damage ties between Pakistan and China that are “time-tested friends and iron brothers”.

Expressing sadness over the loss of previous lives in the bus blast, Rasheed said a high-level investigation is being carried out into the incident on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He further assured that the government would extend every possible cooperation to a Chinese team visiting Pakistan to investigate the blast. He further assured the minister of provision of foolproof security to Chinese nationals working on projects in Pakistan.

The Chinese minister said he was talking to the interior minister on the instruction of China’s president and expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives in the Dasu incident.

In a telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang the other day, Prime Minister Imran Khan had assured that no effort would be spared to thoroughly investigate the incident. Security of Chinese workers, projects and institutions in Pakistan was the foremost priority of the government, he said.