ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will review a security plan for Chinese nationals working in Pakistan soon after Eid Al-Fitr celebrations in the country, reported a local media outlet on Monday.
Three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed when a female suicide bomber detonated herself near a Chinese language learning center at the University of Karachi last week.
According to security officials, the attack, which was claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, was launched to specifically target the Chinese nationals.
“In view of potential threats being faced by China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other joint ventures between the two countries, the premier would assess all the mechanisms earlier devised for ensuring the security of the Chinese nationals and the new plan being devised by the planning and interior ministries,” reported The Express Tribune.
It added “the security plan would be presented to PM Shehbaz in the first week after Eid.”
Official sources told the newspaper the PM had asked the planning minister, Ahsan Iqbal, to meet the country heads of Chinese companies operating in Pakistan to get their input on the matter as well.
Iqbal is also expected to visit Gwadar after Eid to examine security arrangements and see if the Chinese nationals working over there have any complaints.
“In addition, PM Shehbaz has directed the interior ministry to engage provinces, especially the Balochistan government, for the provision of the security in Gwadar and submit a report in the first week after Eid,” the newspaper reported.
Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region will also set up a “provincial foreigners security cell, with requisite staff and logistics,” which will have information on all Chinese nationals visiting the area.
Chinese workers in Pakistan have also been targeted by militant groups in the past.
In July 2021, 10 Chinese nationals were killed after an explosion on their bus in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Chinese authorities have not only condemned such incidents but also asked Pakistan to take stern action against their perpetrators.
Pakistan’s PM to review security arrangements for Chinese nationals after Eid Al-Fitr
https://arab.news/84pvu
Pakistan’s PM to review security arrangements for Chinese nationals after Eid Al-Fitr
- Three Chinese citizens were killed last week in a suicide bombing at the University of Karachi
- PM Sharif has instructed ministries of planning and interior to devise a new security plan
Pakistani president arrives in Iraq to deepen trade, energy cooperation
- Visit follows recent high-level contacts as Islamabad seeks to expand limited commercial ties with Baghdad
- Talks are expected to cover investment, manpower and facilitation of Pakistani pilgrims visiting holy sites in Iraq
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Iraq on Saturday on an official visit aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, energy and investment, as Pakistan seeks to deepen ties with Baghdad after years of limited engagement.
Pakistan and Iraq established diplomatic relations in 1947 and have traditionally maintained cordial ties, though commercial links remain modest, with officials and business groups identifying scope for cooperation in construction services, pharmaceuticals, manpower and agricultural exports.
“President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Baghdad on a four-day official visit to Iraq,” his office said in a post on X. “He was received by Culture Minister Dr. Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani. During the visit, meetings with senior Iraqi leadership are expected to advance cooperation and further strengthen Pakistan-Iraq relations.”
Zardari’s visit follows a series of recent high-level contacts between the two countries, reflecting efforts to broaden bilateral engagement beyond traditional diplomatic ties and explore collaboration across economic, political and people-to-people domains.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, the president is expected to hold meetings with Iraq’s senior leadership to discuss cooperation in various areas such as trade and investment, energy, technology, education and manpower.
He is also expected to discuss regional and international issues with Iraqi officials.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Ameer Al-Shammari, on the sidelines of meetings in Brussels, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on security and facilitate travel for Pakistani Shia pilgrims to Najaf and Karbala.
The two officials discussed measures to ensure the smoother movement of these pilgrims and their compliance with visa regulations.
