ISLAMABAD : Saddened with recent killing of two Chinese engineers in suicide attack in Karachi, the management of Pak Matiari- Lahore Transmission Company Limited (PMLTC) sought helicopters to transportation of its engineers unto security situation improve in the province.
Well informed sources in NTDC told NewzShewz that this demand has been forwarded by the Deputy CEO PMLTC, Ma Desheng, in a letter to Managing Director NTDC, ” We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Chinese nationals and the severe injuries sustained by others during the terrorist attack on October 6, 2024. This was the second terrorist attack this year on the CPEC project. Regrettably, this tragic incident has also exposed several security vulnerabilities during the transit of Chinese personnel between Karachi Airport and the Matiari Converter Station,” he added.
Deputy CEO is of the view that currently, there is only one route from Karachi Airport to Matiari Converter Station, which passes through densely populated areas, increasing the risk of attacks, adding that the designated Ramada Hotel near the airport, where Chinese engineers transit, is located close to the site of the recent terrorist attack, creating additional risks for Chinese personnel.
Deshang further stated that due to Civil Aviation Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), armed security forces are not permitted to enter airport premises. Consequently, the convoy transporting Chinese engineers often halts near the airport entrance, which presents a security vulnerability. This practice also applies when picking up Chinese engineers from the airport, further exposing them to potential attacks, as demonstrated in this recent incident.
It has also been revealed that the bulletproof vehicles and jammers currently in use cannot adequately protect against such suicide bombings or explosive attacks.
” We request you to address these critical security gaps to concerned departments / agencies immediately. We believe the current route, the designated hotel, and the stopovers near the airport pose significant risks to the safety of our engineers traveling between the airport and the converter stations,” said Deshang.
In light of these issues, PMLTC has requested that the government and law enforcement agencies take immediate corrective measures to reinforce security and prevent future incidents on this important HVDC project.
Additionally, given the current high-risk situation, the company has requested the government and law enforcement agencies to arrange helicopter transportation for Chinese engineers between Karachi Airport and Matiari Station until the security situation in Sindh improves.
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