In the second attack this month, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Chinese citizens in Baluchistan on Friday. Two local children were killed and a Chinese citizen was injured in the incident.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militant organization, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Chinese embassy strongly condemned Friday’s suicide attack on Gwadar, the port city of strategic importance due to the presence of Chinese workers and investment.
The embassy said it launched the emergency plan immediately, “demanding that Pakistan properly treat the injured, conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and severely punish the perpetrators.”
Protests against the CPEC
The attack comes amid growing anger at multi-million dollar projects between locals in the quiet province.
This week, protesters blocked roads, burned tires, chanted slogans against a severe shortage of water and electricity and threats to livelihoods in Gwadar, The Guardian reported.
Gwadar, a coastal city of Baluchistan, is the culmination of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
China is involved in the development of the port of Gwadar in the Arabian Sea as part of a $ 60 billion China-Pakistan economic corridor, which is part of China’s belt and road infrastructure project.
“We have been protesting for more than a month and we are protesting against Chinese trawlers and water and electricity shortages. But the government never ignored our demands. We had to observe a strike d ‘complete shutdown and we were attacked by the district administration,’ said Faiz Nigori, a local political worker.
Two people were injured when authorities cracked down on protesters in Gwadar, according to the report.
Threatened Chinese citizens
A large number of Chinese experts and workers are working in Gwadar and the surrounding areas to complete various projects under the CPEC.
In recent months, there has been an increase in terrorist attacks targeting Chinese citizens of Balochistan and Karachi working on China-Pakistan economic corridor projects and for private companies.
Following Friday’s attack, the Chinese embassy said the security situation in Pakistan has been serious and that there have been several successive terrorist attacks, which have resulted in the deaths of several Chinese citizens.
He called on his Pakistani citizens to be alert, strengthen security precautions, reduce unnecessary exits and take effective security protections.
Pakistan, meanwhile, said the attack was directed at the convoy of Chinese nationals consisting of four Chinese vehicles with security details of members of the Pakistani army and the police contingent on the Eastway Expressway nearby. of the Gwadar fishing colony.
Pakistan said it was aware of the hostile designs, that it had already done a thorough review of the security of the Chinese and pledged to ensure their safe stay in Pakistan on this journey of progress.
Last month, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese, were killed in a terrorist attack on the restored Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the site of the Dasu Dam, under construction, exploded on July 14. It fell into a deep ravine after the explosion in the Upper Kohistan district.
Pakistan had initially said the crash was caused by technical problems and that there was later an explosion due to the gas leak. He later withdrew from his previous position and acknowledged that it was a terrorist attack.
Chinese nationals were also attacked in Karachi last month when they were shot by gunmen from a moving vehicle.
For Pakistan, ties with China are crucial because of its growing economic dependence on Beijing.
(With contributions from agencies)