Slain Chinese were part of IPP talks, says Aurangzeb

The Chinese nationals killed in the terrorist attack near Karachi airport were involved in discussions with senior Pakistani ministers about renegotiating terms for Independent Power Producers (IPPs), according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, emphasizing the need for a secure environment to attract foreign investment. He also assured that there would be no repeat of 2014’s political unrest, which had disrupted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit.

Finance Minister Aurangzeb highlighted that the slain individuals were IPP engineers and that he, along with Power Minister Awais Leghari, had been in talks with them about restructuring debt and extending loan maturities to reduce power tariffs for Pakistan. He emphasized that these engineers had been key to creating a mutually beneficial arrangement between China and Pakistan.

Aurangzeb also discussed the negative economic impact of strikes organized by PTI, noting that the Ministry of Finance estimated a single day’s strike could cost the economy Rs190 billion. Beyond the economic toll, he highlighted the social impact, such as people being unable to access hospitals, children missing school, and daily wage workers losing income, affecting around 800,000 families in Islamabad alone.