Contrasting claims emerge from Pakistan about the blast that killed Chinese engineers

Islamabad: – A bomb blast on a bus in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province claimed the lives of nine Chinese engineers. Pakistani Ministers contended that this was an act of sabotage. However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry claimed that the bus’s AC had exploded. Pakistan is still not ready to say with conviction that this is a terrorist attack. On the other hand, China is urging Pakistan to crack down on those responsible for the sabotage. China is preparing to send a team to Pakistan to investigate. However, some allege that there is a contradiction in Pakistan’s claims as the blast was carried out by none other than Pakistan itself.

Chinese engineers were working on a hydroelectric project at Dasu, at Upper Kohistan, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistani Army personnel were also deployed for their security. Meanwhile, a bomb exploded in a bus carrying Chinese engineers, killing nine Chinese engineers. It said two Pakistani soldiers were killed. At present, Pakistan is dependent on the CPEC project, which is being built with Chinese investment. In such a scenario, Pakistan was expected to look at the safety of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan with more sensitivity. Despite this, Pakistan seems to be making contrasting claims about the bombing.

Pakistan’s Minister Babar Awan accused that this was a saboteur act. Whereas Pakistan’s foreign ministry has passed a verdict that this was an accident. The Pakistani foreign ministry claimed that the AC of the bus developed a snag, exploded and the bus flew into the air and then crashed into a ravine. The Pakistani foreign minister has given similar information to the Chinese foreign minister at the SCO meeting. But now Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry has announced that this was sabotage and said that the information regarding the explosives used was available.

Fawad Chaudhary added that the Prime Minister of Pakistan was personally following up the investigation into the sabotage. This has led to increased scepticism about Pakistan’s role. China was also claimed that this was a saboteur act and demanded that Pakistan take stern action against those responsible. China will also send a team to Pakistan to participate in the investigation.

Pakistani media has accused some foreign powers of trying to jolt the CPEC project between China and Pakistan through this attack. But on Indian social media, it is being alleged that the attack was perpetrated by Pakistan and aimed at jolting China.

No matter how big claims Pakistan and China make, the CPEC project is not currently active. The differences between the two countries have reached the extreme. Not only that but Pakistan is also worried that China will leave it on the side and join hands with the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is being claimed on social media that Pakistan is feeling a need to jolt China and has warned China by carrying out the bomb blast. The contradictory claims that Pakistan is making about the blasts further endorse the allegations.