Chinese nationals in Karachi withdraw harassment complaint after province pledges to investigate

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KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Six Chinese nationals who run businesses in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi have withdrawn a harassment complaint against police after provincial authorities said they would investigate the claims, a defense lawyer said on Monday.

The men had approached a court in Karachi saying they had invested a significant amount of money in Pakistan's largest city but their movement was being restricted by police on the pretext of security and it had affected their business.

The provincial government in Pakistan's southern Sindh province said it was investigating the complaint, but added that any grievance should have been made to the government through the Chinese embassy instead of petitioning a court.

Rehman Mahsud, an attorney for the six men, told The Associated Press that his clients are withdrawing their petition as they are now “satisfied” with the assurances provided by senior government officials.

Under a government directive, all Chinese nationals are required to inform police before they travel so an escort can be arranged. Local authorities increased security following the deaths of two Chinese nationals in a bomb attack last year.

Pakistan hosts thousands of Chinese workers as part of Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects. Several Chinese companies have also been set up across the country.

Two Chinese nationals were killed in Karachi in October when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle outside an airport. The Baloch Liberation Army, which is mainly active in the southwestern Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA accuses China of plundering the province's mineral resources with Pakistan's help.

Following the attack, China has called on Pakistan to protect Chinese workers due to a resurgence in militant violence.