PM Shehbaz Sharif Chairs High-Level Security Audit for Foreigners, Primarily Chinese

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a crucial security summit aimed at bolstering measures to safeguard foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese community, following the recent assault on Chinese engineers in Shangla. This high-level meeting, currently in session, seeks to assess and fortify security protocols for foreigners, particularly Chinese residents, throughout Pakistan.

The agenda of the meeting encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of the nation’s security landscape, with a primary focus on ensuring the safety of Chinese nationals engaged in various projects across Pakistan. Key stakeholders including heads of security agencies, federal ministers, inspectors general of police, and pertinent authorities are actively engaged in deliberations.

Insider sources reveal an intensive scrutiny of security arrangements for Chinese citizens working within Pakistan, underscoring the necessity for revising existing protocols and conducting meticulous security audits. The Ministry of Interior and security agencies are slated to provide detailed briefings on the prevailing security scenario, with a specific emphasis on safeguarding foreign nationals, particularly Chinese residents.

This high-level gathering follows Tuesday’s tragic attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in Shangla’s Bisham tehsil, resulting in the demise of five foreign nationals and their local driver. Malakand’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Ali, confirmed the incident, stating that the engineers and their driver were presumed deceased after their vehicle came under attack.

The assault, suspected to be a suicide bombing, is currently under investigation, with reports suggesting that the attackers targeted the passenger vehicle by ramming it with an explosive-laden vehicle, causing it to veer off the road.