ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has informed his Chinese counterpart that preliminary investigation into the bus tragedy near Dasu hydropower project in the Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed the tragic incident was not a consequence of a terrorist attack.
According to a statement issued today (July15), Pakistani Foreign Minister met Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Council of Foreign Ministers in Dushanbe on Wednesday.
In the meeting, the statement added, Yi stressed the immediate arrest of and severe punishment for perpetrators in case the incident was a terrorist attack.
Qureshi, however, said the initial probe showed that the incident was not a terrorist attack.
The statement further quoted the Chinese foreign minister as saying that if the incident was a terrorist attack, the criminals must be immediately arrested and severely punished.
“Lessons should be learned from the incident, and the security measures for China-Pakistan cooperation projects should be further strengthened to ensure the safe and smooth operation of all projects,” he stressed.
Qureshi said China was Pakistan’s “most important friend and most reliable partner, and China’s loss is Pakistan’s loss,” according to the statement.
