Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, after a day of confusion surrounding an explosion in a bus transporting Chinese engineers to Dasu Dam in Upper Kohistan, on Thursday said initial investigations into the “Dasu incident have now confirmed traces of explosives”.
In a tweet, the federal minister said that the prime minister is “personally supervising” the investigations into the attack on the bus. He added that terrorism cannot be ruled out and that the government was in close coordination with the Chinese embassy in this regard.
On Wednesday, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed in Kohistan as a result of an explosion in the early morning. Initially, the local officials called it a terror attack which was confirmed by sources in the region. However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office later issued a statement and said that the explosion occurred due to a “gas leak”.
The Chinese embassy had also issued an emergency statement, urging the Pakistan government to investigate the cause of the blast. It had also said: “The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan hereby reminds Chinese citizens, enterprises, and projects in Pakistan to attach great importance to them, pay close attention to the local security situation, strengthen the safety of project personnel, take strict precautions, and do not go out unless necessary.”
