Pakistan claims it will continue to work with China for safety despite terror attacks on projects

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it would continue to work with China for the safety and security of Chinese nationals and projects in the country.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, however, dismissed media reports that Beijing was pushing for joint security arrangements in the wake of repeated attacks on its citizens in Pakistan.

The remarks came days after China said it would continue to support Pakistan in its fight against terrorism to protect Chinese nationals working on various projects in the country notwithstanding the recurring attacks against them.

Two Chinese nationals were injured on November 5 when a local security guard opened fire at them following a quarrel, reportedly at a police station in the Industrial Trading Estate area of the port city of Karachi in Sindh province.

Baloch, during her weekly news briefing here, said Pakistan and China have a robust dialogue and cooperation on a range of issues including counter terrorism and security of Chinese nationals, adding that the dialogue is based on mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation and respect for each other's sovereignty.

“As iron brothers and strategic partners, the two countries have the resolve and capability to foil any attempts aimed at harming this relationship. We will not allow any efforts to derail China-Pakistan strategic partnership,” she said.

She dismissed media reports of Beijing pushing Islamabad to join security efforts in Pakistan, terming them as “speculations motivated by an agenda to create confusion.” “We do not respond to media speculations that are based on unreliable sources and motivated by an agenda to create confusion about the nature of this relationship,” she said and advised the media to ascertain the motivation of individuals who feed them such stories.

She also urged the Afghan authorities to take action against the terror groups and “not allow the use of their soil against Pakistan or any other neighboring country.” She said Afghanistan should take Pakistan's repeated requests seriously and not test the patience of Pakistani people.

Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects under the aegis of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The November 5 firing was the third incident involving attacks on Chinese or other foreign nationals in Karachi this year.

In October, two Chinese engineers working at the Port Qasim terminal were killed when a suicide bomber struck a vehicle carrying them near the Karachi airport.

In April, five Japanese nationals working in the Landhi industrial zone came under attack by a suicide bomber but luckily escaped unhurt.