Lahore [Pakistan], November 2 : The Pakistan Punjab government has decided to purchase bombproof vehicles to boost the security of Chinese nationals working on various projects, Ary News reported.
As per details, the directives were issued by the Punjab government, stating that Pakistano Rupees 500 million have been allocated for the bomb proof vehicles on the recommendation of the IG of Pakistan's Punjab.
The Inspector General of Police Punjab also ordered foolproof security for Chinese nationals working on all sensitive projects, including CPEC and non-CPEC projects, as per Ary News.
The development comes after the all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad friends, China and Pakistan seem to be drifting away after Beijing's ambassador to Islamabad raised concern over the security of its nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
Ary News had reported that recently, a powerful suicide bomb blast in Pakistan's port city of Karachi targeted a convoy transporting Chinese nationals late on Sunday, killing at least three people and wounding 10 others.
As per the initial investigation, the suicide bomber was waiting for the Chinese convoy near Jinnah airport to approach before executing the attack.
"The terrorist rammed the explosive-laden vehicle directly into the foreign nationals' car that caused massive destruction and damage to several nearby cars," say investigators.
Soon after the blast, rescue teams quickly reached the scene, managing to safely retrieve one of the foreigners' vehicles. Authorities are currently working to obtain the car's number plate and engine chassis number to aid in the investigation, as per Ary News.
Investigators are now working to gather details about the damaged vehicles.
The powerful explosion, heard miles away, occurred outside the airport. Authorities assured that all airport installations were safe and that flight operations were not affected.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad condemned the "terrorist attack," confirming the deaths of two Chinese citizens and noting that another was injured.
Speaking at the event, 'China at 75: A Journey of Progress, Transformation and Global Leadership' on Tuesday, Jiang Zaidong expressed frustration over the attacks, stating it was "unacceptable" and urged Islamabad to strengthen security measures for Chinese nationals and crack down on the anti-China elements."
The security of Chinese citizens is paramount for President Xi," he noted, adding that this priority has been reiterated in Xi's discussions with Pakistani leaders.
It was noted that Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang's recent visit was conducted under what Jiang termed "unique circumstances," because of the two attacks on Chinese workers.