Pakistan asks Afghanistan to turn in TTP terrorists involved in attack on Chinese nationals

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 27 : Pakistan has demanded the Taliban government in Afghanistan to hand over outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) terrorists, who were involved in the attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported ARY News.

The attack, which took place on March 26 in Bisham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Shangla district, claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers along with one Pakistani citizen.

The incident took place when the convoy was travelling between Islamabad and a hydroelectric dam construction site in Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The District Inspector General (DIG) of Malakand said that a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese nationals, as reported by ARY News.

Addressing a press conference along with officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Necta), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan has taken up the issue with the Afghan interim government and urged them to take action against terrorist activities being carried out on their land.

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 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, utilising all the resources of the state.

PM Sharif chaired a high-level emergency meeting in the aftermath of the attack on Chinese nationals, further appreciating the alacrity with which law enforcement agencies and locals responded to the attack, saving many lives that could have been lost.

"Terrorism is a transnational threat that has been instrumentalized by the enemies of Pakistan to stymie Pakistan's progress and development. The acts targeting Pakistan-China friendship are particularly aimed at creating mistrust between the two iron brothers," he said.

However, on Sunday, while briefing the journalists, Interior Minister Naqvi said that the probe agencies have prepared an investigation report, adding that they had concrete evidence that the TTP used Afghan soil to carry out the terror attack on Chinese engineers, reported Al Jazeera.

He further said they wanted friendly ties with Kabul, adding that "it is only possible if they cooperate with Islamabad."

Noting Pakistan-China ties, the interior minister said that Pakistan gave great importance to its ties with China, adding that 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 recovery of a mobile phone near the vehicle used in the attack.

It is pertinent to mention, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the outlawed terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022, reported ARY News.

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