KARACHI: The chief executive of Pakistan’s Sindh province on Saturday expressed his administration’s desire to bolster collaboration with Beijing in transport, energy and agriculture sectors during a meeting with a top diplomat, nearly three weeks after two Chinese engineers were killed in an explosion in the city.
The two countries jointly initiated a series of energy and infrastructure development projects under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to aid Pakistan’s development.
However, militants have persistently targeted Chinese nationals in different parts of the country, raising concerns about the safety of these workers and the prospects of the economic collaboration between the two nations.
Only a day earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong urged the local authorities to apprehend the perpetrators of the violent attacks on Chinese citizens.
“China is a key partner in electricity, coal and other projects in Sindh,” Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was quoted in a statement circulated by his office after the meeting with Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong in Karachi.
“With China’s help, the Sindh government aims to improve agriculture, transport and other projects,” he added.
The meeting comes at a time when Pakistan has been reeling from a prolonged economic crisis and has sought to enhance bilateral trade and investment cooperation with friendly countries like China to bolster its fragile economy.
Earlier this month, Pakistani state media reported that a Chinese development association would invest up to $13 billion in a free trade zone in Pakistan in the next five years.
The Chinese consul general also noted that businesses in his country were interested in collaborating with the provincial administration on a number of projects.
Pakistani province seeks to boost projects with Beijing amid concerns over Chinese safety
https://arab.news/2g9pd
Pakistani province seeks to boost projects with Beijing amid concerns over Chinese safety
- Sindh CM calls for greater collaboration with China in transport, energy sectors
- He meets a top diplomat from Beijing after a blast killed two Chinese in Karachi
Pakistan seizes over 21,000 rounds of ammunition at Afghan border crossing
- Customs officials intercept arms shipment at Torkham amid heightened border security
- Seizure comes amid an ongoing border closure after Pakistan-Afghanistan skirmishes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities said on Tuesday they seized more than 21,000 rounds of arms and ammunition at the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan amid persistent security challenges along the volatile frontier separating the two countries.
The seizure was made during routine cargo screening at the customs station in Torkham, where officials flagged a suspicious vehicle, bearing registration number TAH-027, which arrived from Afghanistan and was shifted to a terminal for scanning, according to a statement from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
A subsequent physical inspection uncovered submachine-gun bullets and rifle cartridges concealed in the vehicle, the statement added.
“Pakistan Customs authorities at Torkham foiled a major attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition into Pakistan, seizing over 21,000 rounds of SMG and rifle cartridges along with other arms,” the FBR said.
“This incident is being treated as a deliberate and organized attempt to undermine public safety and national security,” it continued, adding that a criminal case had been registered and further legal proceedings were underway.
Authorities said customs officials were coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to investigate the attempted smuggling, without providing details on the origin or intended destination of the weapons.
The seizure comes amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the two neighbors having witnessed border closures and security clashes along their frontier last year, disrupting trade and movement and prompting heightened scrutiny of cross-border traffic.
Torkham is one of the busiest crossings between the two countries and a key transit point for commercial goods.
Pakistan’s revenue authorities said they remained committed to curbing smuggling and safeguarding national revenue.
