The Pakistan military stated on Tuesday that a suicide bombing which resulted in the death of five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in March was orchestrated in Afghanistan by an Afghan citizen.
During a press conference, army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Ahmad Sharif divulged that four individuals responsible for the attack on March 26 in Bisham, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had been apprehended.
Sharif emphasized that the attack targeting the Chinese engineers, who were involved in the construction of Pakistan’s largest Dasu Dam, was a deliberate effort to disrupt the friendship between Pakistan and China. Numerous Chinese nationals are employed in projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Furthermore, Sharif stated that the Pakistani Taliban, who have hideouts in Afghanistan, are behind the recent surge in attacks within Pakistan resulting in the deaths of 62 security personnel across the nation since January.
He highlighted the failure of the Afghan Taliban to fulfill their commitments to the international community following their ascent to power, promising that Afghan soil will not be utilized for attacks against any country.
Although there has been no immediate response from the Afghan Taliban government refuting these allegations.
The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is a distinct group but maintains a close alliance with the Afghan Taliban, who took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were concluding their withdrawal after two decades of conflict.
Sharif disclosed that Pakistan possesses substantial evidence implicating the TTP in acts of violence within the country.
Additionally, Sharif asserted that no foreigner residing in Pakistan without proper documentation will be permitted to stay, noting that 563,639 undocumented Afghan nationals have returned to Afghanistan following a crackdown on illegal migrants initiated by Islamabad last year.
Sharif mentioned that Pakistan’s military has nearly finished constructing 98 percent of a barrier along the Afghan border and 91 percent of a barrier along the Iranian border to restrict unlawful movements, combat smuggling, and prevent cross-border militant incursions.
Afghanistan has never acknowledged the porous border that traverses the territory of the Pashtun community, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.
The army spokesperson also dismissed rumors regarding negotiations or agreements with the incarcerated former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, or his political party. Khan is currently serving prison sentences for corruption, divulging official secrets, and violating marriage laws.