PM Shehbaz orders joint investigation into Besham terrorist attack on Chinese workers n We shall not leave any stone unturned to ensure security of Chinese nationals: General Asim Munir.
ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday ordered to conduct a thorough joint investigation of the Besham terrorist attack on Chinese nationals working on Dassu Hydel Power Project, utilising all resources of the state.
The prime minister offering deepest condolences to the families of the innocent victims of the attack assured that the perpetrators of this barbaric act would be brought to justice swiftly.
Chairing a high level emergency meeting in the aftermath of Besham terrorist attack on Chinese nationals, the prime minister appreciated the alacrity with which law enforcement agencies and locals responded to the attack, saving many precious lives which could have been lost.
The meeting was attended by the Federal Ministers, Chief of the Army Staff, Chief Ministers, Chief Secretaries and Inspector Generals of Police of respective provinces, a PM Office press release said.
The meeting discussed in detail the heinous attack on innocent civilians working on a development project, meant to contribute to energy and water security of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the enduring bond of brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and China and conveyed that the whole nation was saddened by the loss of Chinese lives.
He stated, “Terrorism is a trans-national threat that has been instrumentalised by the enemies of Pakistan to stymie Pakistan’s progress and development. The acts targeting Pakistan-China friendship are particularly aimed at creating mistrust between the two iron brothers”. Participants of the meeting expressed resolute commitment to completely rooting out terrorism from this country. The participants expressed serious concerns over sanctuaries available to terrorists across the borders and emphasized upon the need for a regional approach for countering terrorism. During the meeting, the COAS reiterated the resolve of armed forces to eliminate the scourge of terrorism afflicting the country. COAS stated that the nation had steadfastly fought the war on terror for the last two decades and had defeated the nefarious designs of Pakistan’s adversaries.
Noting the recent surge in terrorist incidents, COAS General Syed Asim Munir remarked that the enemies of Pakistan had once again underestimated the resilience and grit of the State and the people of Pakistan.
He said, “We shall fight terrorism till every terrorist casting an evil eye on Pakistan, its people and their guests, is eliminated; we shall not leave any stone unturned to ensure that every foreign citizen, especially the Chinese nationals, contributing to the prosperity of Pakistan, is safe and secure in Pakistan. We shall fight terrorism with all our might, to the very end.”
The meeting concluded with the participants reiterating resolve to comprehensively combat terrorism employing all resources available to the state.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad today has decided that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will be formed for investigation into terrorist attack on Chinese engineers in Bisham.
Sharing details of the meeting at a news conference in Islamabad today, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the meeting recognized the importance of adopting a coordinated strategy to curb the menace of terrorism.
He said a mechanism will be devised under this strategy to ensure greater coordination amongst the relevant stakeholders.
The Information Minister said the meeting applauded the role of security forces in the war on terrorism. He said the participants of the meeting were on the same page that no stone will be left unturned to eradicate the menace of terrorism. He said the whole nation is united in the war on terrorism, reaffirming that every possible step will be taken for the security of important installations, Chinese citizens and the Pakistani people.
The meeting was attended by the federal ministers, Army Chief Syed Asim Munir, the four provincial chief ministers as well as the chief secretaries and IGPs of the federating units.
Attaullah Tarar said anti-Pakistan elements want to hurt longstanding relationship between Pakistan and China but they will fail in their designs. He said this everlasting relationship will remain intact.
The Information Minister said China has always stood by Pakistan in difficult times. He said the country has always supported Pakistan’s stance at the international forums. He said the CPEC is our lifeline and guarantor of economic development. He said Pakistan shares the grief and sorrow of the Chinese people at this hour of grief.
Responding to a question regarding security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar said there are SOPs in this regard and all out steps are taken to ensure their implementation. However, following the yesterday’s incident, we are identifying any loopholes in the SOPs or their implementation.
To another question, the Minister said federal government is closely engaged with the provincial governments of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on security issue.
He mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Chief Minister Balochistan to expedite working on Gwadar safe city project being funded by federal government and in this regard the Chief Minister will visit Gwadar tomorrow. He said Counter Terrorism force will be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the pattern of the state of the art CTD force of Punjab. To a question about Afghanistan’s involvement in terror incidents in Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar said Prime Minister has already made it clear that any use of soil against Pakistan will be thwarted. He said we continue to emphasize peace in the region and resolve issues through negotiations.