Islamabad: After warning its citizens to remain cautious in Pakistan owing to the deteriorating security situation, China has temporarily shut down the consular section of its mission there due to "technical concerns."
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. The warning stated that starting on February 13, 2023, until further notice, "the consular section of the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad will be temporarily closed due to technical concerns."
The notification follows last week's notice by the Chinese government, advising Chinese citizens to be cautious while in Pakistan, saying they might be at risk due to a deteriorating security situation.
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. Chinese nationals working on the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have regularly been targeted by various terrorist organisations in Pakistan, putting a significant portion of Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure programme at risk.
The CPEC is a USD 65 billion network of roads, railways, pipelines, and ports in Pakistan connecting China to the Arabian Sea.
A female suicide bomber last April killed three Chinese teachers in Karachi along with their local driver, targeting nationals from Pakistan's most important partner and seeking to undermine a relationship on which Islamabad's financial survival largely depends.