Rescue workers and onlookers gather around a wreck after a bus plunged into a ravine following a bomb explosion, which killed 12 people including 9 Chinese workers, in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on July 14, 2021. (STRINGER / AFP)
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian briefed media on Monday on last week's bus blast in Pakistan that killed nine Chinese nationals and injured another 27, saying that a severely wounded person had received brain surgery and the others were recovering.
Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, Zhao said that the Chinese embassy in Pakistan and a multi-department working group led by the ministry are consulting with the Pakistani side on how to deal with the remains of the nine Chinese who lost their lives.
We believe that both sides can figure out the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Zhao Lijian, Spokesman, Chinese foreign ministry
On Wednesday, shuttle buses of the Dasu Hydropower Project, which a Chinese company was contracted to build, were hit by a blast when they were heading toward the construction site in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
"Relevant departments in Pakistan are looking into the incident and the Pakistani side has briefed the Chinese side on the initial investigation," Zhao said.
After the Chinese working group arrived in Islamabad on Friday, technical experts from both sides jointly inspected the scene and the case is undergoing further investigation, Zhao said.
ALSO READ: Premier urges Pakistan to boost safety of Chinese nationals
"We believe that both sides can figure out the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice," he said.
The spokesman denied media reports that the Dasu Hydropower Project was suspended and that the Pakistani workers' contracts had been terminated, saying that the project will resume when the conditions are appropriate.
Construction was halted for now as efforts are made to carry out the follow-up measures as well as find possible security gaps, he said.
In a statement released on Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that Pakistan and China remain committed to the timely completion of the project and other projects being carried out with Chinese cooperation.
Zhao said that the bus blast was an isolated incident and that China believes Pakistan is fully capable of ensuring the safety of Chinese personnel and assets in the country
Zhao said that the bus blast was an isolated incident and that China believes Pakistan is fully capable of ensuring the safety of Chinese personnel and assets in the country.
READ MORE: Envoy to Pakistan visits Chinese nationals injured in blast
He also clarified that the project is not under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, but it is an economic cooperation project between the two countries.
While no organization or individual has claimed responsibility for the blast, some analysts believe that it may be linked with the explosion in April in the Pakistani city of Quetta that was claimed by the "Pakistani Taliban".
Different from the Afghan Taliban, which calls itself a political and military organization, the "Pakistan Taliban" is regarded as a terrorist organization by the international community and the Pakistani government, Zhao said.
Terrorism is a common enemy of humanity and China will continue to firmly support Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and Chinese organizations, he added.
mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn