A recent police report concerning the tragic suicide attack in Bisham city, Shangla, has unveiled that the vehicle transporting Chinese nationals lacked both bulletproof and bomb-resistant features.
According to the report, forwarded to the federal government, the targeted bus, part of a convoy, was positioned approximately 15 feet away from another bus and plunged into a 300-feet-deep ditch post the explosion triggered by the suicide bomber’s vehicle on the Karakoram Highway.
This second report of its kind also notes that the convoy’s buses were equipped with closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV).
The revelation follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive, conveyed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, for punitive action against senior police officers for apparent “negligence” based on an inquiry report into the March 26 incident, which claimed the lives of five Chinese citizens, including a woman, and a Pakistani driver.
Tarar informed the media in Lahore that the Prime Minister has ordered action against the Regional Police Officer (RPO) Hazara Division, District Police Officers of Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan, the Director of Security at Dasu Hydropower Project, and the Commandant of the Special Security Unit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within a 15-day timeframe.
Additionally, the report mentions the retrieval of the attacker’s vehicle components from the attack site, situated approximately 6 and 77 kilometers away from Bisham police station and Dassu dam, respectively.
Earlier this week, sources reported the “detention” of over 10 terrorists and facilitators involved in the deadly attack by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The sources disclosed that the terrorist commander responsible for bringing the suicide bomber from Afghanistan to Pakistan, along with four other facilitators, has been apprehended.
The arrests were made amid robust condemnation from Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, pledging to bring the perpetrators to justice. PM Shehbaz has directed the concerned authorities to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals in Pakistan, emphasizing the implementation of a comprehensive action plan for regular audits of security standard operating procedures.
