China shuts consular office in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: China has temporarily closed down the consular section of its embassy in Pakistan due to “technical issues”, days after advising Chinese citizens in this country to be cautious due to the deteriorating security situation.

The embassy announced this on its website, refraining from providing specific information about the nature of the “technical issue” or the timeline for the closure.

Pakistan has seen a rise in terror attacks since late last year when the Pakistani Taliban group called off a fragile truce with the government.

Various militant groups in Pakistan have frequently attacked Chinese nationals working on the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aiming to threaten a major segment of Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

The CPEC is a USD 65 billion network of roads, railways, pipelines, and ports in Pakistan connecting China to the Arabian Sea.