ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb this week reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals, the Finance Division said, amid a surge in attacks on Chinese citizens in the South Asian country.
Pakistani separatist and religiously motivated militants have mounted attacks on Chinese projects in the country in recent years. A suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi this month, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March in northwest Pakistan.
The attacks have forced Beijing, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, to call on Islamabad to ensure security for its citizens. Pakistan has sought to ease Chinese fears, vowing to provide fool-proof security to Chinese nationals working in the country.
On Saturday, Aurangzeb met China’s Vice Minister of Finance, Liao Min, during the 2024 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Washington where both sides spoke on a range of issues, including economic cooperation and security for Chinese nationals.
“Committed to providing foolproof security to Chinese workers,” the Finance Division said about Aurangzeb’s commitments to the Chinese official. “Shared that the majority of Chinese companies are interested in expanding their investments and increasing employment opportunities in Pakistan.”
The two officials also touched upon economic cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, with the statement saying Pakistan aims to launch an inaugural Panda bond in the Chinese market to “diversify” its financing base.
A Panda bond issuance would be Pakistan’s first foray into China’s capital markets.
Aurangzeb thanked the Chinese official for Beijing’s help in enabling Pakistan to secure a $7 billion bailout program this year, the Finance Division said.
“Both sides emphasized the need for online payment settlements and integration of the two countries’ payment systems,” the statement added.
Chinese economic assistance has been crucial for Pakistan in recent years, with Beijing pledging over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.
Pakistan reiterates commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals
https://arab.news/jp9ga
Pakistan reiterates commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals
- Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb meets China’s Vice Minister for Finance Liao Min in Washington
- Separatist and religiously motivated militants in Pakistan have increasingly targeted Chinese interests in country
Two killed in suicide blast targeting security forces in Pakistan’s northwest
- Multiple people were injured in the attack in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
- It comes days after militants rammed explosive-laden vehicle into checkpost, killing 12 people
ISLAMABAD: Two security personnel, including an officer, were killed, while multiple others sustained injuries when a suicide blast targeted their vehicle in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, a police official said.
The suicide bomber hit his explosive-laden motorbike into an armored vehicle of security forces in Sara Darga area of KP’s Bannu district, according to a local police official who requested anonymity.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have carried out similar assaults in the region in past.
“The attack had damaged the armored vehicle, causing deaths and injuries,” he told Arab News, adding that they suspected the Pakistani Taliban to be behind the attack.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP, which borders Afghanistan, in recent years, with militant groups, particularly the TTP, frequently targeting security forces, law enforcers and government officials in the region.
Earlier this week, Pakistani Taliban militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a checkpost jointly manned by security forces and law enforcement agencies in KP’s Bajaur district, killing 11 security personnel among 12 people, the Pakistani military’s media wing said.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil and India of backing militant groups for cross-border attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny this.
