The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday said that the verdict in the 2021 Dasu bus attack case had demonstrated Pakistan’s “abiding commitment to counter terrorism”.
The statement from FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch comes days after an anti-terrorism court in Hazara awarded a death sentence to two men after convicting them for planning the attack.
Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Ayaz of Matta tehsil in Swat district were charged with planning the bus bombing, which killed 13 people, including nine Chinese workers on July 14, 2021.
The verdict of the trial court, if upheld by other tiers of the judiciary and implemented, would surely serve as deterrence against incidents of terrorism that continue to pose serious security risks impeding national progress and development.
Pakistan authorities deserve credit for prompt, in-depth and reliable investigation that enabled the court to award a death penalty to the accused.
It is rightly pointed out that the proactive investigation, prosecution and judgment in this case have once again demonstrated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to counter-terrorism, which is generally acknowledged by the world community but some circles continue disputing this commitment merely for the sake of bringing bad name to the country.
The Dasu attack presented a major challenge as the incident resulted in stoppage of the physical work on the vitally important project because of understandable concerns of China about security and safety of those working on the project.
The judgment would, therefore, help restore confidence of the Chinese workforce besides sending a stern message to anti-state elements and their handlers.
People of Pakistan are thankful to their Chinese friends for demonstrating a remarkable sense of understanding in the backdrop of foreign-sponsored wave of terrorism against Chinese nationals working on development projects, especially under the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
We may point out that this was a high profile case and even then it took over one year to bring the culprits to book and one can understand the delays in finalization of countless other cases that receive comparatively less attention.
The menace of terrorism, which is once again raising its ugly head in some areas of KP, can surely subside if law enforcing agencies complete their investigation with speed and courts deliver judgments promptly.
