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
At least one killed, nine injured in IED blast in northwestern Pakistan
- Blast takes place near vehicle carrying employees of Lucky Cement factory in Lakki Marwat district, say police
- No group has claimed responsibility for IED blast as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police launch probe into the incident
PESHAWAR: At least one person was killed and nine others were injured in Pakistan’s northwestern Lakki Marwat district on Monday after an improvised explosive device (IED) blast occurred near a vehicle transporting employees of a cement factory, a police official said.
Lakki Marwat police official Shahid Marwat told Arab News the blast took place on the district’s Begu Khel Road at around 6:30 a.m. The explosion occurred near a vehicle carrying employees of the Lucky Cement factory located in the district, he said.
“Initial investigations suggest the device had been planted by militants,” Marwat said. “A rapid police response force was immediately deployed to the scene to evacuate the dead and wounded, secure the area and collect evidence.”
The police officer said several victims were in critical condition and were referred for treatment to the nearby Bannu district, adding that all those affected by the blast were residents of Begu Khel village.
He said police had launched an investigation into the incident.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past against Pakistani law enforcers and civilians in the province.
The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistani law enforcers since 2008 in its bid to impose its own brand of strict Islamic law across the country.
The attack comes as Pakistan struggles to contain a sharp surge in militant violence in recent months. According to statistics released last month by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 percent to 3,387, compared with 1,950 deaths in 2024.
These deaths included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians, and 28 members of pro-government peace committees, the think tank said. Most of the attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Pashtun-majority districts and southwestern Balochistan province, the PICSS noted.
On Sunday, three traffic police officials were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Lakki Marwat district. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan government of harboring militants who launch attacks against Pakistan, a charge Kabul repeatedly denies. The surge in militant attacks in Pakistan has strained ties between the two neighbors, with Islamabad urging Kabul to take steps to dismantle militant outfits allegedly operating from its soil.
