The attack occurred near the Gwadar police station in Balochistan when the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers was passing the police station and an IED blast took place.

New Delhi: A convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan on Sunday. The attack took place near the Gwadar police station when the convoy was passing by. The IED blast injured 23 Chinese engineers, one of whom later died.

The Pakistani government has condemned the attack and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Chinese government has also condemned the attack and demanded that Pakistan take action to protect its citizens, news agency ANI said.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): A Major Concern In The Region

The attack has raised concerns about the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a major project that is bringing billions of dollars of investment to Pakistan. However, the project has also been criticized for increasing Chinese influence in the country.

The van which was part of the convoy was shot at creating cracks in the glass. Last week, at least seven people, including a chairman of a Union Council (UC), were killed in a landmine blast targeting a vehicle in Balochistan’s Panjgur district.

“Miscreants had planted a remote explosive device to target a vehicle carrying Balgatar UC Chairman Ishtiaq Yaqoob and others who were returning from a wedding ceremony,” the Dawn quoted Amjad Somro, deputy commissioner of Panjgur, as saying.  With the increase in terrorism incidents in the country, the Punjab Home Department has directed the Chinese nationals living in the province or working with private companies to hire private security companies of ‘A’ category for their security, the Dawn reported.

Continuous Attack On Chinese Officers and Workers

The home department and police held a meeting in the month of February this year to review the security of the Chinese nationals working on government and private projects in the province.
In 2014, the Punjab government had established the Special Protection Unit (SPU) as a dedicated unit for the security of foreigners working at different projects of national importance.

As many as 3,336 security constables, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former army personnel in the rank of senior security constable to chief security officer and seven former army officers in the rank of additional director & deputy director were recruited in the SPU, the Dawn reported.

Keeping in view the job requirement, the personnel were imparted six months rigorous training at four police training schools by the professional trainers.

Presently, 3,829 officers and personnel of the SPU along with 2,552 attached personnel from districts are providing security to 7,567 Chinese working at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province. They are also providing security to the Chinese residing at 70 residences and 24 camps in the province, the Dawn reported.

With renewed attention after the horrific Karachi university incident which took the lives of several Chinese nationals, the Pakistani government has decided to bear the security costs of non-CPEC projects as well, media reports said citing sources

(With inputs from agencies)

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