Islamabad, March 26: Pakistan and China are currently engaged in discussions regarding security measures to protect Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, according to Islamabad’s ambassador to Beijing.
Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, speaking on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in Hainan, China, stated that these talks are still ongoing and are considered a work in progress.
He emphasized that ensuring the safety of Chinese citizens is Pakistan’s “national responsibility” and that the country is committed to doing everything possible to address the issue.
“We work very closely with China in terms of information sharing and developing standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan,” Hashmi said.
The ambassador also noted that Pakistan continuously keeps its Chinese counterparts informed about the steps being taken to improve security for their citizens.
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China has been urging Pakistan to allow its own security personnel to provide protection for the thousands of Chinese citizens in the country.
Following a series of attacks, including the October bombing at Karachi airport, which killed two Chinese engineers who were returning to work on a power plant.
Hashmi confirmed that the discussions are ongoing with a high level of trust between the two countries. He acknowledged the complexity of the security situation in Pakistan but assured that the country has the capability to combat and resolve these challenges, stressing the commitment to defeating terrorist forces.
Chinese Under Attack
On Monday night, separatist fighters launched an attack on a naval airbase in the Turbat area of Balochistan, a southwestern province of Pakistan.
The assault resulted in the death of at least one paramilitary soldier. In response, security forces returned fire, killing all five of the assailants.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group responsible for numerous attacks on Pakistani and Chinese targets, claimed responsibility for the Turbat attack.
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This incident follows another deadly BLA attack last week in Gwadar, a key port city in Balochistan. The attack killed two Pakistani soldiers and eight BLA fighters.
Gwadar is a critical part of the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan’s largest infrastructure and investment project in recent years.
