Amidst the rugged landscapes of Pakistan’s volatile northwestern province, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, tragedy struck as an explosive-laden vehicle collided with a bus, resulting in the demise of six individuals, including five citizens of China. These Chinese nationals were engaged in labor for the Dasu hydropower initiative, underscoring their presence in the region. The calamity unfolded in the precincts of the Bisham area within the Shangla district, as a bus journeying from Islamabad to Kohistan encountered an oncoming vehicle, leading to a fatal collision, as indicated by law enforcement officials. Notably, this incident adds to a series of assaults targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
Several such instances are outlined below:
On the 20th of March, 2024, militants aligned with Baloch separatists perpetrated an assault wielding firearms and explosive devices on the strategic Gwadar port, pivotal to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, resulting in the elimination of seven assailants by security personnel. In a separate event on the 13th of August, 2023, unidentified insurgents assailed a convoy transporting Chinese engineers in Balochistan Province, resulting in injuries to three security operatives amidst an exchange of gunfire, with casualties on both sides.
Another notable incident occurred on the 26th of April, 2022, wherein a female suicide bomber targeted and claimed the lives of three Chinese educators in Karachi. Furthermore, on the 14th of July, 2021, an explosion targeted a bus ferrying Chinese laborers, claiming the lives of nine workers alongside four additional passengers. Akin to these occurrences, the year 2020 witnessed an attack attributed to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Chinese tourists at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar.
In a reminiscent vein, an attack targeting Chinese personnel occurred in August 2018 in the Dalbandin area of Balochistan, resulting in injuries to three engineers involved in a mineral project. The assailant, a 22-year-old, was identified as the offspring of the late BLA commander Aslam Baloch.
Furthermore, historical records unveil prior instances of violence, such as the December 25, 2003, assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf via a suicide bombing, claiming 15 lives. Similarly, a devastating blast rocked a Shia Muslim shrine in south Balochistan province on the 20th of March, 2005, resulting in the demise of at least 43 individuals.
Another tragic event unfolded on the 11th of April, 2006, when a suicide bombing during a Sunni Muslim congregation in Karachi claimed the lives of 57 individuals. Notably, the return of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to Pakistan on the 18th of October, 2007, was marred by bomb attacks, leading to the loss of 139 lives in Karachi. Bhutto herself succumbed to a gun and suicide attack on the 27th of December, 2007.
On the 5th of November, 2010, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque during Friday prayers in Darra Adam Khel, resulting in the deaths of 68 worshippers. Subsequently, a grenade attack claimed four lives at another mosque in the region on the same day. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Taliban asserted responsibility for these acts of violence.
The year 2023 witnessed yet another tragic incident, with twin explosions claiming numerous lives in Pakistan. The first detonation targeted a procession commemorating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad in Mastung, Balochistan province, resulting in the loss of 58 lives.