Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security, Zhao Kezhi (left), meets online with Moeed W. Yusuf, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on August 24, 2021. Photo: Ministry of Public Security

China hopes Pakistan will soon find out the culprits of the suicide attack at the Gwadar Eastbay Expressway Project, reveal the truth behind the Dasu terrorist attack, fully fix the security loopholes and enhance protection measures to ensure all the Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan are safe, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security, Zhao Kezhi, told Moeed W. Yusuf, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 

During an online meeting on Tuesday with the Pakistan official, Zhao praised the efforts made by Islamabad in the investigation on the Dasu terrorist attack, which has gained significant progress in very few days, and also hoped that Pakistan will continue the investigation based on facts and evidence to find the truth of the attack and hold criminals accountable. 

The attack on a bus in northern Pakistan that killed nine Chinese nationals on July 14 was a suicide attack carried out by a branch of the Pakistani Taliban backed by Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies, Pakistani Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, informed on August 12. 

On Friday at the Gwadar East Bay Expressway project in Balochistan, a motorcade carrying Chinese workers was attacked by a suicide bomber.

Zhao urged Pakistan to find out the cause of the incident and strike down the terrorist forces in accordance with the law, fully re-examine the security loopholes and evaluate the potential risks to reinforce equipment and protection measures. 

China and Pakistan should cooperate to enhance the protection mechanism and ensure all the Chinese nationals and projects are safe in Pakistan, Zhao said. Also, China is willing to enhance anti-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan and keep a close communication and coordination on the situation in Afghanistan to play constructive role in safeguarding regional and national security and stability. 

Yusuf said that Pakistan and China are iron-clad brothers and Islamabad attaches great importance to concerns from China and will make all efforts in holding the criminals of the Dasu terror attack accountable.