China Stops Dam Projects In Pakistan After Suicide Bomber Kills Workers (X image @AvinashKS14)

China stopped construction of two major dam projects in Pakistan. The move came after a suicide bomber killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver this week, said news agency AFP. The Chinese company demanded that Islamabad authorities should come up with new security plans before the reopening of the sites.

The Chinese workers were allegedly targeted by a suicide bomber earlier this week. The attacker rammed into the workers’ vehicle on a mountainous road near to one of the dam sites. The explosive detonated on the impact of the crash and plunged the vehicles into a deep ravine. The suicide attack came just days after militants attempted to infiltrate offices of Gwadar deepwater port, which is considered to be a cornerstone of Chinese investment in Pakistan.

On the condition of anonymity, a senior official from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa interior department, said AFP that the China Gezhouba Group Company has stopped work on the Dasu dam in the area and Power China has stopped work on Diamer Bhasha dam in the region.

Reportedly, there are over 1,250 Chinese nationals working in the sites. Around 750 workers are working in Dasu Dam and 500 are working in Diamer Bhasha Dam. The official told AFP that the Chinese companies demanded new security plans from the government. He said, the Chinese engineers have been restricted to the compounds of the area where they live, which is close to the dam sites.

Beijing has been a close regional ally of Islamabad. The former often provided financial support in struggling times. China has sealed more than two trillion dollars in contracts around the world under its Belt and Road Investment scheme, and billions flows to infrastructure projects in Pakistan, said media report.