ISLAMABAD: More than a hundred Chinese engineers and support staff arrived in Islamabad from Urumqi on Friday morning in a special flight after being kept in isolation for 58 days to avoid contracting the dreaded coronavirus which China has largely managed to contain in the last couple of days.
Despite the disease’s outbreak in Pakistan, China’s Gezhouba Group sent 131 professionals to continue working on infrastructure and energy projects under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the company’s public relation’s officer in Islamabad confirmed to Arab News.
He added that 28 more Chinese workers were expected to arrive in Islamabad Friday evening.
“The CPEC staff arrived at 9 a.m. today carrying the Pakistani and Chinese flags and raising slogans to display their commitment to the project despite the situation they faced back home or the unfolding situation in Pakistan,” Gezhouba’s Mustafa Kamal told Arab News.
“They were thoroughly examined before travel. They were also screened upon arrival by National Institute of Health officials and will be kept at an isolation facility in sector F-6/1 (of Islamabad) between 14 and 20 days. We have medical staff there and best available equipment from China, and the workers will undergo virus tests again before resuming their duties at project sites,” he added.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office and Ministry of Planning offered no comment when reached by Arab News.
According to Kamal, however, his company had apprised the Foreign Office and other relevant government departments of the workers’ arrival.
“The number of Chinese nationals was also reported to the Foreign Office,” he said, adding that all health and safety measures would be applied as the workers perform their duties, and a person with any disease symptoms would be immediately shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Chinese CPEC workers arrive in Pakistan despite virus threat
https://arab.news/8r2rn
Chinese CPEC workers arrive in Pakistan despite virus threat
- 131 Chinese reached Islamabad Friday morning to work on the corridor projects, 28 more to join
- Will be kept at an isolation facility in Islamabad for 2-3 weeks, China’s Gezhouba Group official says
Pakistan says operation against Afghan forces to continue until objectives are achieved
- Fighting started this week after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani military installations in retaliation for earlier strikes
- Afghan government spokesperson says air defense attacks were carried out Pakistan aircraft in Kabul on Sunday morning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military’s operation against Afghanistan forces along the border is still underway and will continue until all objectives are achieved, state media reported on Sunday citing security sources.
The latest round of clashes between the two sides began on Thursday night after Afghanistan’s forces attacked Pakistani military installations along their shared border.
The worst fighting between the neighbors in several years began after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad described as militant hideouts inside Afghanistan earlier this month, triggering retaliatory fire along the frontier and sharply escalating long-running tensions. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering Pakistani Taliban militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation that Afghanistan denies.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that 352 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and more than 535 wounded since the latest phase of hostilities began.
“The security sources said Operation Ghazb Lil-Haq is still underway and will continue until objectives are achieved,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
The state media said Pakistan’s army has taken control of an Afghan Taliban military post at the border in northwestern Pakistan.
It shared a video of what it said were Pakistani soldiers crossing into Afghanistan from the northwestern North Waziristan area to capture the Afghan post on the other side of the border.
Arab News could not independently verify the claims.
Earlier during the day, gunshots and explosions were reported in Kabul. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the sounds were the result of Afghan forces targeting Pakistani aircraft over the capital.
“Air defense attacks were carried out in Kabul against Pakistani aircraft,” Mujahid wrote on X. “Kabul residents should not be concerned.”
Since the conflict began this week, diplomatic efforts have intensified with several countries, including global bodies such as the European Union and United Nations, urging restraint and calling for talks.
