China demanded that Pakistan conduct a thorough investigation into the attack on a convoy in Bisham tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla that killed five of its nationals and a local citizen on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy has asked Pakistan to “severely” punish the perpetrators of the attack and take effective measures to ensure the safety of its citizens working in the country, institutions, and projects.

At least five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion when their convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan, a top police officer said.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers which was on its way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, the regional police chief, told Reuters.

“Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” Gandapur said.

The embassy also confirmed the death toll. The vehicle for the Dasu Hydropower Station Project in KP, being constructed by a Chinese company, came under attack at around 1:00pm local time, the statement added.

Images making rounds on social media platform X showed a vehicle engulfed in flames in a ravine next to the road while a blue minibus was seen on the road above.

One image showed what looked like the engine of a smaller vehicle and part of its suspension lying on the road as the minibus is seen in the background with a shattered windscreen.

Another image provided a close view of the same minibus which had a steel net on the windscreen.

Apparently, the attack damaged other vehicles too that were passing by the road.

Personnel from the police and other security forces rushed to the scene while a fire truck was also called in.

Dasu is the site of a major dam and the area has been attacked in the past. A blast on a bus had killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, in 2021.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had reached the spot and started relief operations. The rest of the people in the convoy have been protected, Gandapur said.

The embassy further demanded Pakistan ensure that such incidents do not happen again as it “strongly condemned” the terrorist act and expressed deep condolences for the victims in both countries.

It added that the embassy and consulates in Pakistan have initiated emergency response work.

According to the official handout, Chinese citizens and companies in Pakistan have been advised to “pay close attention” to the security situation and make every effort to take safety precautions.

PM Shehbaz assures China of ‘high-level probe’ into attack

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday to covey condolence over the killing of five Chinese nationals in a terrorist attack in Bisham and assured a “swift and high-level” probe into the incident, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The prime minister in an interaction with the Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong sympathised with the bereaved families of the slain Chinese nationals, a PM Office press release said.

He assured the Chinese side that the government would hold a high-level and swift probe into the attack and take the culprits and facilitators to the task. The prime minister also conveyed his condolatory message to the Chinese president and premier.

“We will not let such nefarious attempts to undermine the Pak-China friendship succeed. The enemies of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have again tried to interrupt it through such cowardly attempt but the enemy will never succeed in its evil designs,” the prime minister added.

He also reiterated the country’s resolve to continue fighting against terrorism “till its complete eradication.” The Chinese ambassador thanked the prime minister for visiting the embassy and “showing personal interest” in the investigation of the incident.

He also appreciated the prime minister’s “determination to maintain” the Pakistan-China friendly ties. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi accompanied the prime minister.

President Asif Ali Zardari also strongly condemned an attack on the Chinese nationals in Bisham and expressed his deep grief and sorrow over deaths.

The president also conveyed his condolences to the bereaved Chinese families and the Government of China, the President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release. The president reiterated that the enemies of Pakistan would never cause damage to Pak-China friendship.

‘Foreign elements’

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to visit Beijing next week, according to a source in the Prime Minister’s Office, his first since taking office following February elections.

A Pakistani military statement said the three attacks in the last week were aimed at destabilising the internal security situation, accusing “foreign elements” of aiding and abetting such incidents in Pakistan.

It said strategic projects and sensitive sites vital to Pakistan’s economic progress were being targeted in an effort to sabotage it and sow discord between Pakistan and its allies, most notably China.

Pakistan’s Indian Ocean port of Gwadar, on the route to key Gulf shipping lanes, is managed by China, while nearby naval air base Siddique is used to support security and development work, spearheaded by Beijing, in Balochistan.

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Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned Tuesday’s attack and said Pakistan would continue to fight back against militants.

The Foreign Office said the life and safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan was of paramount importance.

“Pakistan will continue to work with our Chinese brothers in ensuring the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” it said in a statement.