Chinese engineer working on CPEC survives roadside bombing in Pakistan

Islamabad/Karachi: A Chinese engineer working on the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on Wednesday escaped an attempt on his life when his vehicle was targeted by a bomb planted on a motorbike in Pakistan's Sindh province, police said.

The low-intensity explosive, rigged to a motorbike and exploded with the help of a remote control device, injured a truck driver in Rohri area of Sukkur district.

"Unknown accused attacked a Chinese engineer's vehicle near Rohri but he was unhurt," Superintendent of Police Special Branch Masood Mahar said.

He said the truck driver received minor injuries in the blast.

He said the Chinese engineer was being escorted by paramilitary Rangers when the explosion occurred.

He also said that 500 grammes of explosive material was used in the blast.

Rescue teams and police have arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but police and Rangers conducted a search operation in the area following the blast and arrested at least 20 suspects who have been taken to undisclosed locations, DawnNews reported.

Taliban militants in the past had been targeting foreigners, especially Chinese nationals working in Pakistan.

Several Chinese workers and engineers are working in Pakistan in various schemes being implemented under the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC) project.

The ambitious CPEC project was launched in early 2015 to link China's remote Xinjiang region with the Arabian Sea through Pakistan by building a network of roads, railways, energy parks and industrial zones.

The attack on the Chinese engineer came on a day when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a 448-kilometre-long Sorab-Hoshab road, an important segment of western route of the CPEC in the restive Balochistan province.

He said that billions of rupees were being spent on development of Balochistan and the government was in particular focusing on its development to mitigate the sense of deprivation of Baloch people.

The road network in Balochistan would connect Gwadar port up to Khunjerab border with China and would ensure economic activity, reduce poverty and unemployment in the province, Sharif was quoted as saying by the media.