Chinese businessmen approach interior minister to plug security loopholes

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LAHORE: As security concerns dominate ties between China and Pakistan, particularly after the Bisham bombing which killed five Chinese nationals in March, a delegation of the Chinese business community, led by Consul General Zhao Shiren, shared suggestions with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi regarding a security plan for the protection of Chinese citizens working on various projects in the country.

During the meeting which lasted about three hours on Tuesday, the interior minister assured the Chinese nationals of maximum security and facilitation for business purposes and discussed the protection of Chinese citizens working on various projects in detail. The minister noted the suggestions of delegation and assured implementation of all recommendations.

Minister Naqvi stressed that the protection of Chinese citizens was the top priority of the government and that the SOPs of the security plan had been formulated for the protection of Chinese citizens and every possible measure would be taken to ensure their safety. The minister said that the SOPs would be reviewed for the convenience of Chinese citizens.

Following the killing of five Chinese nationals in a terrorist attack near Bisham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government of China showed serious concerns over the safety of its citizens in Pakistan. Amid such concerns, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited China in June and made a strong commitment, and assured that Pakistan would make all necessary arrangements to protect the Chinese.

Naqvi says online visas for Chinese nationals from Aug 14

Online visas for Chinese

The interior minister said from August 14, Chinese citizens would get visas online to travel to Pakistan. “From Aug 14, the Chinese nationals will have an online visa for Pakistan. The step has been taken to make it easier for Chinese businessmen to visit Pakistan,” he said. Chinese Consul General Zhao Shiren said that Pakistan and China had exemplary relations and hoped that “this meeting will yield positive results”.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2024