Pakistan condemns killing of Chinese nationals in Tajikistan

• Islamabad calls assault as 'heinous terrorist attack'.
• Warns threats emanating from Afghanistan remain serious concern.
• Urges 'verifiable action' against terror groups based in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has condemned the killing of Chinese nationals in a terrorist attack in Tajikistan, expressing condolences to both China and Tajikistan over the incident near the Afghan border.

Condemnation comes hours after three Chinese workers were killed in Tajikistan in an attack launched from Afghanistan near the border. According to the Tajik foreign ministry, a drone and firearm attack hit workers of a Chinese company in the country’s south.

In a statement released by the Foreign Office, Islamabad described the assault as a “heinous terrorist attack” and expressed grief over the loss of lives.

“Pakistan expresses its deepest condolences and strong solidarity with the government and people of the People’s Republic of China, as well as with the government and people of Tajikistan,” the statement said.

The Foreign Office noted that the attack reportedly involved the use of armed drones, calling it a stark reminder of the “gravity of threat emanating from Afghanistan and the brazenness of those behind it.”

Islamabad said Pakistan has long faced similar cross-border attacks and therefore “fully understands and shares the grief and anguish” felt by China and Tajikistan.

Reiterating its longstanding concerns, the Foreign Office warned that Afghan soil must not be allowed to be used for terrorism against neighbouring states. 

"Pakistan has consistently stressed that Afghan territory must not be used for terrorism against its neighbours or any other country. The repeated use of Afghan soil by terrorist elements and their continued presence under the patronage of Afghan Taliban regime, is a matter of serious concern for the entire region and the wider international community," Islamabad stressed.

It said the continued presence of terrorist elements in Afghanistan, under the “patronage of the Afghan Taliban regime”, remains a matter of serious alarm for the region.

“Concrete and verifiable action against the perpetrators, abettors, facilitators and financiers of terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil is the only way to address this growing menace,” the statement added.

Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with China, Tajikistan and other regional partners to support peace and stability in the region.

Tajikistan has strained relations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and several border clashes have broken out in recent months.

Dushanbe rarely comments officially on such incidents, and it did not say who it suspects carried out the attack.

Militants from extremist groups are active in the mountainous border region, which spans around 1,350 kilometres (840 miles) between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Muslim-majority Tajikistan, one of the poorest countries in the former Soviet Union, has been concerned about possible flare-ups in extremism since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

President Emomali Rakhmon, in power since 1992, is openly critical of the Taliban, and urged the group to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks, estimated to make up around a quarter of Afghanistan’s 40-million population.

At the same time, Tajikistan has cautiously engaged in some areas, including through diplomatic meetings, the opening of markets in border towns and supplying electricity.

Tajikistan’s foreign ministry said Thursday, "criminal groups located in the neighbouring country (Afghanistan) continue to commit acts aimed at destabilising the situation in the border regions."

Several Chinese companies operate in Tajikistan, particularly in mining and natural resources, often located in the mountainous border areas.

One Chinese worker was killed last year in a similar attack near the Afghan border.