Pakistan’s information minister stated Saturday that the country’s prime minister has ordered at least five senior police officers be punished for carelessness after a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers at a major dam site last month.
The bombing in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province forced Power China and the China Gezhouba Company to halt work on two dam projects, killing five workers and a Pakistani driver and plunging their van into a deep ravine.
Hundreds of Chinese workers are engaged at the Dasu and Diamer Bhasha dam construction sites, which are roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) apart in the mountainous terrain.
Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar stated that a committee appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif named a regional official, three district officials, and the director of security at the Dasu dam project for negligence in carrying out their responsibilities.
“The prime minister has ordered immediate action against these officers”, Tarar stated at a press conference in Lahore, without specifying their punishment.
“The prime minister himself will be monitoring the security of Chinese (nationals). Those individuals who have shown negligence will be set as an example”, Tarar continued.
Tarar stated that security concerns surrounding Chinese citizens would be treated with utmost seriousness and any lapses would not be tolerated.
Power China has resumed activities at Diamer Bhasha, although China Gezhouba Group Company’s operations at Dasu remain closed.
In connection with the blast, Pakistani police have apprehended over 12 people, including Afghan nationals.
Beijing is Islamabad’s closest regional ally, routinely providing financial aid to its impoverished neighbor and investing more than $2 trillion in infrastructure projects.
However, Pakistanis have long grumbled that they do not receive a fair share of the jobs or wealth generated by the projects.
The security of Chinese workers is a serious concern to both countries, with nationals frequently targeted by militants opposed to foreign influence.
Last week’s attack occurred just days after militants attempted to storm offices of the Gwadar deepwater port in the southwest, which is regarded as a cornerstone of Chinese investment in Pakistan.
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