A Chinese company has halted civil works and dismissed hundreds of workers at a hydropower project in Pakistan after a devastating suicide attack claimed the lives of five Chinese nationals. The incident occurred at the Dasu hydropower project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where a vehicle-borne explosive targeted a bus, resulting in six casualties.
The Power Construction Corporation of China (PCCC), overseeing the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project in the same province, suspended operations and laid off over 2,000 workers due to security concerns arising from the attack. Despite the setback, the project’s completion timeline is expected to be minimally affected, with the extension project scheduled for completion by May 2026.
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The affected workers will receive half of their salaries until they are called back to resume duties, as per labour laws. The Dasu hydropower project , funded by the World Bank and developed by China Gezhouba, has seen previous attacks on Chinese workers, including a similar incident in July 2021.
China strongly condemned the suicide bomb attack and urged a thorough investigation, while Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a joint probe to identify perpetrators and ensure the safety of Chinese personnel. The presence of Chinese workers in Pakistan is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aimed at enhancing connectivity and economic cooperation between the two nations.
