China, Pak discuss fallout of bus blast
BEIJING: Remains of the nine Chinese nationals killed in a bus explosion in Pakistan were returned to China on a chartered flight on Friday, official media said, hours after top Pakistani officials landed here for talks likely linked to the aftermath of the episode.
In a statement issued early on Saturday and quoted by news agency Xinhua, the Chinese foreign ministry urged Islamabad to “seriously” investigate the incident and “earnestly” protect the safety of Chinese personnel working in Pakistan on various projects.
Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and ISI chief Faiz Hameed were already in China on Friday to hold talks with Chinese officials.
Qureshi is here to officially participate in the third ChinaPakistan Strategic Dialogue.
There was no official confirmation of Hameed’s arrival, though Pakistani media reports said he was also in China for relevant talks. The talks are likely taking place in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.
On the remains of the Chinese nationals being returned to China, the foreign ministry said, “Bodies of nine Chinese personnel killed in a Pakistan terrorist attack returned to the motherland on a chartered plane on Friday.”
Nine Chinese and four Pakistanis were killed in a shuttle bus blast on July 14 in Kohistan region of Pakistan, Chinese state media reported, adding that the blast was confirmed to be a terror attack on July 16.
When asked about the investigation, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday, “China and Pakistan are still conducting investigation into the terrorist attack. I have nothing to add for the moment.”