ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb this week reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals, the Finance Division said, amid a surge in attacks on Chinese citizens in the South Asian country. 
Pakistani separatist and religiously motivated militants have mounted attacks on Chinese projects in the country in recent years. A suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi this month, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March in northwest Pakistan.
The attacks have forced Beijing, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, to call on Islamabad to ensure security for its citizens. Pakistan has sought to ease Chinese fears, vowing to provide fool-proof security to Chinese nationals working in the country.
On Saturday, Aurangzeb met China’s Vice Minister of Finance, Liao Min, during the 2024 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Washington where both sides spoke on a range of issues, including economic cooperation and security for Chinese nationals. 
“Committed to providing foolproof security to Chinese workers,” the Finance Division said about Aurangzeb’s commitments to the Chinese official. “Shared that the majority of Chinese companies are interested in expanding their investments and increasing employment opportunities in Pakistan.”
The two officials also touched upon economic cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, with the statement saying Pakistan aims to launch an inaugural Panda bond in the Chinese market to “diversify” its financing base.
A Panda bond issuance would be Pakistan’s first foray into China’s capital markets. 
Aurangzeb thanked the Chinese official for Beijing’s help in enabling Pakistan to secure a $7 billion bailout program this year, the Finance Division said. 
“Both sides emphasized the need for online payment settlements and integration of the two countries’ payment systems,” the statement added. 
Chinese economic assistance has been crucial for Pakistan in recent years, with Beijing pledging over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. 
CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.

LONDON: Nasser Hussain said Pakistan had found the “kryptonite to Bazball” after wrapping up a 2-1 series win over England with an emphatic nine-wicket victory in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
England were beaten inside three days after suffering a dramatic collapse where they lost their last seven wickets for 46 runs.
All 20 England wickets fell to spinners for the second match in a row as Pakistan, thrashed by an innings and 47 runs in first Test, completed an impressive recovery.
Hussain, a former England captain, said Pakistan had “exposed England when the ball spins” and demonstrated that “when it spins and when it’s gripping, England don’t play spin as well or bowl spin as well as Pakistan.”
England, under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, have become known for their aggressive ‘Bazball’ style in Test cricket, particularly when batting, as they showed while compiling a mammoth 823-7 on a flat surface in the series opener in Multan.
But it was a very different story as spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who did not feature in the first Test, took 39 of the 40 England wickets that fell in the next two matches.
“They (Pakistan) made a real, drastic change, new selectors, different pitches completely — as in they used the Multan pitch again, complete turner, came here (Rawalpindi), made it turn — and they found the kryptonite to Bazball,” said Hussain in his role as a Sky Sports pundit.
“When it spins and when it’s gripping, England don’t play spin as well or bowl spin as well as Pakistan.”
Several England batsmen struggled for runs in Pakistam, with Ollie Pope managing just 55 runs in five innings, skipper Ben Stokes 53 in four innings and opener Zak Crawley 139 in five visits to the crease.
Hussain added while the difference in pitch conditions offered some explanation for increasingly low scores, the “discrepancy with England is a concern.”
“It shouldn’t be so drastic that you play so well on flat pitches and you can hit through the line, and the moment it then grips you can’t play like that, so you’re then a little bit lost,” he said.
Michael Vaughan, another former England captain, said England needed to have “some serious conversations” about Pope’s position at number three.
“His returns suggest he does not have the mentality or technique to thrive against the very best bowlers,” wrote Vaughan in his column for Britain’s Daily Telegraph.
England, following a 4-1 series defeat in India earlier this year, have now lost six of their last seven Tests in Asia, with Hussain saying the focus on the Ashes, particularly on winning the 2025/26 campaign in Australia, was unhealthy.
“All you ever hear about is the Ashes, the Ashes away,” said Hussain. “We play so many series away before the Ashes, the conditions here are so different from Australia...It can’t all be about one series every four years away from home. You’re almost not taking Pakistan or India seriously, you’ve got to be across the board.”