- Pakistan, China is working close to sharing information, says envoy.
- “We keep Chinese friends informed of steps that we take.”
- “We have capacity for […] Defeating these terrorist forces, ”he adds.
Pakistan and China’s discussions on security measures to protect Chinese citizens working in the South Asian country are an ongoing work, Islamabad’s ambassador to Beijing said Wednesday.
It is Pakistan’s “national responsibility” and the country “does everything possible,” Ambassador Khalil Hashmi told journalists on the sidelines of the Boao forum in China’s Hainan Province.
“I think our two countries are working very closely in terms of sharing information in terms of the development of the standard procedures” to ensure that Chinese citizens working in Pakistan are safe, he said.
“We keep our Chinese friends informed about the steps we take, so it’s an ongoing job.”
Hashmi said these conversations are ongoing with a high degree of trust between both countries.
“It’s a complex security environment,” he said, “We have the ability to solve, counter and fight and defeat these terrorist forces.”
Two Chinese citizens among three people were killed in a suicide blast near Karachi Airport last November, and a forbidden outfit – Balochistan Liberation Army’s (Bla) Majeed Brigade – claimed his responsibility.
Later in February this year, President Asif Ali Zardari met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where it was promised that improved security measures for Chinese nationals and infrastructure projects in Pakistan would be taken.
A joint statement mentioned that the Pakistani side will continue to make all efforts to investigate the terrorist attacks involving Chinese staff and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
It will also increase input into security and take targeted and improved measures to effectively ensure the security and security of Chinese staff, projects and institutions in Pakistan and create a safe environment for cooperation between the two countries.
