ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former Interior Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Khan Afridi on Sunday called on Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of Chinese Embassy Shi Yuanqiang and conveyed commiserations over the loss of precious lives in a recent terrorist attack on Chinese engineers on his own behalf and also conveyed a message of sympathy of the party former founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Shi Yuanqiang said that China highly valued the efforts of the Pakistani government and its people in providing protection and support to Chinese workers and companies.
He said that China and Pakistan were iron friends and the terrorist attacks would only strengthen the resolve of both countries to deepen their friendly cooperation and promote sustainable and balanced development of Pakistan.
During the meeting, Shehryar Khan Afridi said that China and Pakistan were iron brothers and this bond would be further cemented with each passing day.
He said that neither terrorism nor conspiracies could dent the trust and brotherhood between the two countries, rather these acts only strengthen the resolve of the people and governments of both nations to fight the menace of terrorism.
Poverty Main Issue in Pakistan, Afghanistan Bordering Areas
Afridi said that poverty was a major issue and especially people in Pakistan, and Afghanistan bordering areas were left behind the developed areas. Due to the rampant poverty, lack of employment opportunities and infrastructure in bordering areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, he said the terrorists mislead people and manage to attack Pakistani security forces and Chinese installations.
He said that the terrorists also attacked the Chinese engineers in Besham despite the fact that they had sacrificed everything and came to Pakistan to help build infrastructure and dams for the uplift of the people.
Shehryar Afridi urged governments on both sides to focus development of infrastructure in Pakistan, and Afghan bordering areas and to educate and employ youth because education and employment can help fight the menace of terrorism in under-developed tribal and far-flung areas.
