A team of Chinese investigators arrived in Pakistan on Friday to join a probe into a suicide attack that killed five of its nationals earlier this week. The incident occurred as the Chinese engineers and workers were en route to the Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in northwest Pakistan, when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In response to the attack, Beijing condemned the violence and urged Pakistan to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure the safety of the thousands of Chinese nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Pakistani government has been actively engaged in its own investigations into the attack, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefing the Chinese investigators on the progress made so far.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, this is not the first time Chinese nationals working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan have been targeted. In a similar incident in July 2021, a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying Chinese and Pakistani engineers and laborers, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 individuals, including nine Chinese nationals.
Following the 2021 attack, Chinese companies temporarily suspended their operations in Pakistan. The recent attack has once again raised concerns about the security of Chinese workers in the region and highlighted the need for enhanced safety measures to protect foreign nationals involved in infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
