On March 26, local time, the vehicle of the Dasu Hydropower Project in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which was built by a Chinese company, was attacked by a terrorist attack, killing five Chinese personnel and one Pakistani personnel. (Source: AFP)
On the afternoon of March 26, local time, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwestern Pakistan, a suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives and crashed into a convoy carrying Chinese engineers. The convoy was on its way from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, to Dasu. A total of six people, including five Chinese nationals and one Pakistani driver, were killed in the attack.
After the incident, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan issued a statement confirming that at about 13:00 local time on the afternoon of March 26, the vehicle of the Dasu Hydropower Project in Cape Province, which was built by a Chinese company, was attacked by a terrorist attack on the way, killing five Chinese personnel and one Pakistani personnel. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan have immediately launched emergency work, demanding that the Pakistani side conduct a thorough investigation of the attack and severely punish the perpetrators, and at the same time take practical and effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
Chinese personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in Pakistan
Reuters reported on the 26th, citing local police chief Gandapur, that the convoy carrying Chinese engineers suffered a suicide bomb attack on the 26th, and five Chinese citizens and one Pakistani driver were unfortunately killed in the explosion. Gandapur told Reuters that the convoy was on its way from Islamabad to the Dasu hydropower project camp when a suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives to attack. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that local police said an attacker carrying a suicide bomber drove into a vehicle carrying a Chinese engineer, which then fell into a ravine and caught fire. Cape provincial police have arrived at the scene to rescue and protect the rest of the convoy. The relevant authorities are collecting evidence on this matter.
In addition, the Global Times confirmed from the Chinese personnel in the attacked convoy that in addition to the attacked vehicle, another bus carrying Chinese personnel was damaged after the explosion, but the personnel on board have been safely evacuated and have now arrived at the project camp.
Statement by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan on the terrorist attack on the Dasu Hydropower Project. (Source: Chinese Embassy in Pakistan website)
On the same day, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan issued a statement on the terrorist attack on the Dasu Hydropower Project, strongly condemning this terrorist act, expressing deep condolences to the victims of the two countries, extending sincere condolences to the bereaved families, and saying that it will work with Pakistan to promote the aftermath of the incident.
The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan have immediately launched emergency work, demanding that the Pakistani side conduct a thorough investigation into the attack, severely punish the perpetrators, and take practical and effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan and ensure that similar incidents do not happen again. The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan remind Chinese citizens and enterprises in Pakistan to pay close attention to the local security situation, raise the security level, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take security precautions.
Why are terrorist attacks being launched against Chinese citizens?
According to China's Belt and Road Network, the Dasu Hydropower Station in Pakistan, built by China Energy Gezhouba Group, is located in the Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwestern Pakistan, and is located in the second level of the Indus River Basin Hydropower Plan. The project is one of the largest projects in terms of technical difficulty, total installed capacity and total investment in Pakistan so far, and will effectively alleviate the problem of energy shortage in Pakistan after completion.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that employees of Chinese companies in the Dasu hydropower project have been subjected to terrorist attacks. On July 14, 2021, the shuttle bus of the Dasu Hydropower Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, which was built by a Chinese company, was on its way to the construction site. The explosion killed 13 people, including nine Chinese citizens, and injured 28 others.
On November 15, 2022, according to Pakistani media reports, the Pakistani District Court handed down sentences on several suspects suspected of organizing and participating in the "7.14" Dasu terrorist attack, including the death penalty for individual leaders. In this regard, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference at the time that the suspects in the case were finally brought to justice, which is a justice and a consolation to the Chinese compatriots who died.
Aerial view of Dasu Hydropower Station. (Source: Associated Press)
"It is likely that the perpetrators of this terrorist attack have direct links with the Pakistani Taliban in the Swat Valley region of Cape Province, but who the attackers are will depend on the final findings. Li Wei, director of the Counter-Terrorism Research Center of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said that after the last terrorist attack, China's projects in Pakistan, especially the Dasu hydropower project, have strengthened security measures, but transportation and commuting are relatively vulnerable links, and terrorists always carry out attacks on the commuting road. The attack vehicle was loaded with a large amount of explosives, indicating that the attack was "carefully prepared".
Ye Hailin, vice president of the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also believes that it is more likely that the perpetrators were the Pakistani Taliban. He said that judging from the location of the terrorist attack, the Dasu hydropower project is within the scope of activities of the Pakistani Taliban. In terms of the modus operandi of the attacks, the use of suicide bombs is one of the characteristics of attacks carried out by the Pakistani Taliban.
Li Wei analyzed that the terrorists want to coerce the authorities, but the Pakistani government will not agree, and the Pakistani government will continue to severely crack down on terrorist forces that pose a threat to national security, and at the same time, it will also strengthen the security guarantee for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.
Lin Minwang, assistant dean and researcher at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, said that Pakistan still has a lot of room for development on the issue of counter-terrorism, and there is still insufficient capacity building in all aspects. "Pakistani parties should have a deeper understanding of the terrorist attack at the Dasu hydropower station and consider longer-term issues from the perspective of their own development. Lin Minwang thinks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shekhbaz Sharif, left, talks with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad about the March 26 suicide attack, according to photos released by Pakistan's prime minister's office. (Source: AFP)
China demands that Pakistan make every effort to arrest the murderers
After the terrorist attack, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Shehbaz went to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan on the afternoon of the 26th to express condolences to the Chinese citizens who had died and left a message in the condolence book. In his message, Shehbaz said: I am deeply shocked and saddened by the suicide attack in the Shangra area, which resulted in the loss of five Chinese citizens, and I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the Chinese government and people on behalf of the Pakistani government and people. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We will promptly investigate the incident and severely punish the perpetrators, and will never allow the evil plot to undermine the iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China to succeed.
On the 26th, Pakistani President Zardari issued a statement strongly condemning the terrorist attack on the Dasu hydropower project, expressing deep condolences for the death of Chinese citizens, and expressing condolences to the families of the Chinese citizens and the Chinese government. He said that the anti-Pakistani elements' attempt to undermine Pakistan-China friendship will never succeed.
On the same day, Pakistan's National Assembly issued a statement saying that Speaker Sadiq and Deputy Speaker Ghulam strongly condemned the terrorist attack, and that the terrorists targeted innocent Chinese citizens. Pakistan and China are partners of mutual trust, and attacks on Chinese citizens are intolerable. The Pakistani National Assembly and the people expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and believed that the Pakistani Government would bring the criminals to justice.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan issued a statement stating that the Government of Pakistan strongly condemns this heinous act of terrorism and will take all necessary measures to bring the terrorists and their facilitators to justice. Such despicable acts will not weaken Pakistan's resolve to fight terrorism. This attack was planned by the enemies of Pakistan and China, and we will resolutely fight and defeat these forces. At this difficult moment, the people and government of Pakistan stand with their Chinese friends and extend their sincere condolences to the families of the Chinese citizens who have been killed. Pakistan and China are close friends and hardcore brothers, and the lives and safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan are of paramount importance. Pakistan will continue to work with its Chinese counterparts to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, projects and institutions in Pakistan.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on Pakistan's Dasu Bomb Attack. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs website)
In response to the bomb attack in Dasu, Pakistan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 27th that China strongly condemns this terrorist act, expresses deep condolences to the victims, and extends sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims. China demands that the Pakistani side thoroughly investigate the truth of the incident as soon as possible, make every effort to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice, and take practical and effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan. China is working with Pakistan to make every effort to deal with the aftermath of the incident. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has reminded Chinese citizens and enterprises in Pakistan to pay close attention to the local security situation, raise awareness of prevention, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to prevent terrorist attacks.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and "hardcore" brothers, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has made great contributions to Pakistan's economic and social development. Any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan cooperation will never succeed. China opposes all forms of terrorism and resolutely supports Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism. China will work more firmly with Pakistan to safeguard the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan.
(Source: Xinhua News Agency, Huanqiu.com, The Paper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan website)