ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has sent an official to Kabul to share the findings of its investigation into a suicide bombing in March that killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver with Afghanistan’s Taliban government, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
Pakistan says the attack was planned in Afghanistan and that the bomber was an Afghan citizen, alleging that the Afghan Taliban administration should be held accountable for the attack. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has denied it was in any way responsible.
According to a statement, Khurram Agha, a top bureaucrat at the Interior Ministry in Islamabad, shared the findings with Afghanistan’s deputy interior minister, Muhammad Nabi Omari. It said Agha traveled to Afghanistan’s capital under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s instructions.
The March 26 attack took place as the group of Chinese were heading to Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.
The statement also said Pakistan has sought Afghanistan’s assistance in apprehending the perpetrators.
As for the talks in Kabul, the ministry said the “Afghan side reiterated its commitment to prevent the use of Afghan soil for any terrorist activity against other countries, including Pakistan.” It also added that the Taliban “agreed to examine the findings” of the Pakistani probe.
No further details were immediately available.
Thousands of Chinese nationals work in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which includes a multitude of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
