–China donates overwhelmingly to support martyred cops’ families
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said that foreign elements were behind the attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi last week.
“These forces cannot sabotage Pakistan-China relations. Our ties are deep-rooted and time-tested,” he said while addressing a ceremony held to collect donations for the two policemen who were martyred in the attack.
The information minister emphasised the importance of Pakistan-China relations and added that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to the country had further strengthened bilateral relations.
“This close collaboration is [annoying] certain forces which is why they are resorting to such cowardly acts,” he claimed.
While emphasising Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror, he said the country has remained resolute in the face of threats.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy Zhao Lijian, while addressing the event, said that Chinese citizens living in Pakistan and in other countries are donating as a sign of respect for those martyred while defending the Chinese staff.
He further said that such events would be organised in several cities of China, including the capital Beijing.
Zhao also announced that a Chinese citizen had decided to donate one month’s salary to the families of the two martyred policemen.
“The donor believes that Pak-China friendship is not simply empty words but rooted in the hearts of the people of the two countries,” Zhao said.
The Chinese official said they would like to give terrorists the message that their efforts at sabotaging Pak-China friendship will never succeed.
DONATIONS:
Though donations are pouring in from China and also from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, the campaign has picked momentum as a single office in F-6/1 Sector of the federal capital bagged around Rs3,200,000 in a day.
“We have collected 80,000 RMB (around Rs 1600,000), another Rs1.5 million and US$100. This is part of the donations only in one office in Islamabad. Various Chinese companies working in Pakistan are also donating funds being gathered at another office in the F-8 Sector. Moreover, donations are also being collected at offices in Karachi and Lahore,” said Tang Tianru, the manager of Exim Trade Consulting Company in Pakistan, who had launched the donation campaign.
After Tang posted the proposition of donation to her Wechat friends circle, the counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Zhao Lijian took the lead and donated RMB 2,000. And when Cheng Wei, Chief Representative of Habib Bank Limited Beijing office heard the news from Chinese Economic Net, she donated RMB 4,000 through a colleague in Pakistan.
The Chinese students association in Pakistan has also initiated fundraising among international students. Even teachers and students from some universities in China have donated money through the association. Ma Bin, the person in charge of the association, said, “The sounds of notification of money transfer on WeChat are like the melody of continuous water droplets, ‘ticking’, ‘ticking’, as if the sound of love were gathering from all directions.
Since the drive initiated, China Economic Net has been trusted by many Chinese people to deliver their donations. President of China Economic Net, Wang Xudong, and its Chief Editor Cui Jun have both donated money in their own names, she said.
On Friday, security forces foiled an attack on the Chinese consulate located in Karachi’s upscale Clifton, killing all three terrorists and seizing at least nine hand grenades, Kalashnikov bullets, magazines and explosives.
Two policemen, ASI Ashraf Dawood and Constable Amir, were martyred in the operation to foil the attack. Two civilians, a father and a son who had come from Quetta for visas, were also killed, police said after reviewing initial information. A security guard was also critically injured.
