China has supported Pakistan’s investigation into the March 26 suicide attack on its engineers in Bisham, stating that eliminating terrorism is in the “interest of all countries,” according to Xinhua news agency on Monday.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson’s statement came a day after Pakistan blamed the attack on the leadership of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), based in Afghanistan, and hostile foreign intelligence agencies.
While Pakistan called on Afghanistan to take action against terrorists operating from its soil, the Chinese official’s remarks did not specifically mention Kabul.
“China attaches great importance to the significant progress made by the Pakistani side in the investigation of the terrorist attack,” Mao Ning said at a press conference on Monday.
“China supports Pakistan in continuing to uncover the full details of the incident, and in tracking down and bringing to justice all the perpetrators.”
She added that the two nations “will continue to work” to enhance security cooperation and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.
Ms. Ning described terrorism as a “common enemy of humanity and a scourge against regional development and stability,” urging all nations to increase efforts to eradicate it.
“China calls on countries in the region to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, eliminate all terrorist organizations, remove their breeding grounds, and protect the common security and development interests of all countries.”
Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also demanded the Afghan interim government arrest three alleged terrorists named Bakhtiar Shah, Qari Abdullah, and Khan Lala, along with TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud, its Malakand Commander Azmatullah, and the entire leadership of the outlawed group for their involvement in the attack.
“We want good ties with Afghanistan, but for that, it is important they arrest these terrorists, prosecute them or hand them over to us,” he said.
