Beijing "worried" about Baluchistan violence
After the murder of three Chinese engineers, for which an armed separatist group has claimed responsibility, China's leadership has called for justice and security. For Pakistan, this is a "move by terrorists who want to divide the two allies".
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Chinese government is "very worried" about the murder of three Chinese engineers in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan and "forcefully calls on Islamabad to hand the murderers over to justice and to guarantee the security of Chinese immigrants".
The three engineers and their Pakistani driver were killed yesterday in Hub, 680km southeast of the provincial capital Quetta. The killers, who were riding three motorbikes, riddled the car of the Chinese with bullets before escaping. Shortly after the attack, Mirak Baluch, spokesman for the Baluchistan Liberation Army, a group fighting for independence in the province, claimed responsibility for the shooting.
The Chinese president, Hu Jintao, and the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, yesterday said thousands of ethnic Chinese workers were in the province and called on president Musharraf to guarantee their security. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Li Zhaoxing called his Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Kasuri, at night to present China's requests.
According to Pakistani sources, those responsible for the attack are "terrorists" who aim to "create a wedge and divide the two countries", historically allies. The incident comes on the eve of the Pakistani president's visit to China: the trip, fixed for 19 February, is a sign of the positive phase of bilateral ties, based mostly on arms trade.
Pervez Zahoor, head of the provincial police, said 50 arrests were made in the course of the inquiry and he "guaranteed the greatest security possible" for residents and workers in Baluchistan.
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27/04/2023 21:09
