Pakistan has demanded that the Taliban government in Afghanistan hand over terrorists from the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who were involved in the attack on Chinese engineers in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported ARY News.
The attack, which took place on March 26 in Bisham city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district, claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers and one Pakistani citizen. The incident occurred when the convoy was traveling between Islamabad and a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the District Inspector General (DIG) of Malakand, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy carrying Chinese nationals.
Addressing a press conference alongside officials from the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that Pakistan has raised the issue with the Afghan interim government and urged them to take action against terrorist activities being carried out on their soil.
The interior minister added that the TTP orchestrated the Shangla terror attack from inside Afghanistan. “We have requested the interim government in Afghanistan to arrest the leadership of the banned TTP,” he said.
Following the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough joint investigation into the Shangla suicide attack on Chinese nationals, utilizing all the resources of the state.
PM Sharif chaired a high-level emergency meeting after the attack, appreciating the swift response of law enforcement agencies and locals, which saved many lives.
On Sunday, while briefing journalists, Interior Minister Naqvi said that the probe agencies have prepared an investigation report, adding that they have concrete evidence that the TTP used Afghan soil to carry out the terror attack on Chinese engineers, reported Al Jazeera.
He further said that Pakistan wants friendly ties with Kabul, but it is only possible if they cooperate with Islamabad. Noting the importance of Pakistan-China ties, the interior minister said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relationship with China, and both friendly nations support each other at different global forums. “The security of Chinese nationals is very important to us,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Coordinator NACTA, Rai Tahir, said that investigations into the Bisham attack progressed with the recovery of a mobile phone near the vehicle used in the attack.
(Inputs from ANI)