Pakistani authorities are conducting DNA testing on the remains of the suicide bomber responsible for an attack that killed five Chinese nationals. The victims were engineers and laborers heading to the Dasu Dam, Pakistan’s largest hydropower project, when the attack occurred in the northwestern district of Shangla. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which the victims were working on, includes a variety of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants, and agriculture. This corridor is crucial for Pakistan’s struggling economy, and the attack has raised concerns about the safety of foreign workers in the country.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion falls on separatists as well as a breakaway Gul Bahadur faction of the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP has denied involvement in the attack, distancing themselves from the violence against the Chinese engineers. This incident comes shortly after Pakistani security forces killed eight Baluchistan Liberation Army separatists who targeted a convoy carrying Chinese citizens near the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in Baluchistan province. The Chinese government has condemned the attack and urged Pakistan to conduct a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised a swift conclusion to the investigation and has met with the Chinese ambassador to address the attack. Chinese officials are expected to conduct an independent investigation at the attack site while working closely with Pakistani authorities. Security measures are being heightened to ensure the safety of all foreigners in the country, especially Chinese nationals contributing to the development of Pakistan. The attack has created tension between China and Pakistan, and both countries are determined to strengthen their cooperation amid these challenges.
Chinese laborers working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan have been targeted in previous attacks, with casualties reported in recent years. In July 2021, a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying Chinese and Pakistani engineers and laborers, resulting in the deaths of thirteen individuals, including nine Chinese nationals. Initially, Pakistani authorities claimed the incident was a road accident, but China disputed this assertion, identifying it as a deliberate suicide attack. The safety and security of foreign workers in Pakistan, particularly those involved in crucial infrastructure projects, have become a major concern following these incidents.
