Pakistan Affirms Commitment to Combat Terrorism & Protect Chinese Nationals

Baloch emphasized that Pakistan stands resolute in its efforts to combat terrorism and uphold the safety.

Islamabad:”Besham Attack: Pakistan Committed to Combating Terrorism, Ensuring Safety of Chinese Nationals, says Foreign Office Spokesperson”

During a weekly press briefing, spokesperson of the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, reiterated Pakistan’s firm resolve to bring terrorists and their facilitators to justice and ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country.

Addressing the recent tragic incident in Besham, where five Chinese nationals lost their lives, Baloch stated that a thorough investigation into the matter is underway. She emphasized that Pakistan maintains close coordination with the Chinese government, and all necessary steps will be taken to safeguard the interests of Chinese citizens residing or working in Pakistan.

Regarding other global concerns, the spokesperson condemned human rights violations by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri people’s struggle for their fundamental rights. Additionally, she expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, condemning Israeli aggression in Gaza and calling for an immediate halt to hostilities.

Baloch underscored the deep-rooted friendship between Pakistan and China, stating that Pakistan unequivocally denounces all forms of terrorism. She asserted that the recent attack in Besham was an attempt by enemies of Pakistan-China friendship to sow discord and disrupt the strong bond between the two nations.

Read more: Pakistan vows to protect Chinese nationals, forms JIT to probe attack

Furthermore, the spokesperson reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering counterterrorism policy and commitment to ensuring the security of Chinese engineers and workers in the country.

In conclusion, Baloch emphasized that Pakistan stands resolute in its efforts to combat terrorism and uphold the safety and well-being of all foreign nationals within its borders, particularly those from friendly countries like China.

Govt ‘needs to implement all international laws’ to stop ‘terrorist traffic’ on Pak-Afghan border

Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has stressed the importance of implementation of international laws on the borders to prevent influx of terrorist elements to Pakistan, especially from Afghanistan, as a fresh wave of terrorism grips the country.

In a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter, Asif called for some basic changes to the border situation which is needed in the light of rise in terrorist incidents.

He said that the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is different from any other borders in the world, terming the neighbouring country a “source of terrorism” for Pakistan.

He said that the Afghan government was not making any progress in eliminating terrorist elements using Afghan soil to carry out attacks in Pakistan, despite all out efforts by Islamabad.

He said that the Afghan authorities know all the terrorist hideouts in their country.

“There is no cooperation from Kabul. Pakistan should implement all the international laws on this border,” Asif said, adding that “terrorist traffic” will have to be stopped.

The comments came after Tuesday’s dastardly suicide attack that killed five Chinese nationals and a Pakistani citizen in Shangla’s Besham city, which sent shock waves across the country amid a spike in terrorist attacks.

Pakistan has time and again accused the Afghan authorities of not taking action against terrorist outfits including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating on its soil and involved in cross-border attacks against security forces and civilians.

Earlier this month, seven Pakistan Army personnel, including two officers, were martyred in a terrorist attack in the general area Mir Ali of North Waziristan District.

Following the attack, the Pakistani forces carried out intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the border regions inside Afghanistan against terrorists launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil.

The military has called out the continuous use of Afghan soil as the reason behind the “growing terrorism in Pakistan”.

“It is clear to all that the recent wave of terrorism in Pakistan has full support and assistance of Afghanistan,” it added.

A day after the attack, the defence minister had also said that militants were using Afghanistan soil to carry out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

“Terrorism against us is mostly being conducted from Afghanistan,” the defence minister had said while speaking to the media in Sialkot.