Recent months may have seen China and Pakistan closely working in diplomatic circles and on development projects. All though is not well for Chinese workers in Pakistan who - apart from facing a threat to their lives - recently clashed with cops for allegedly being barred from red light areas.
Pakistan-based Dawn has reported that several Chinese workers thrashed local cops - deployed for their own safety - for stopping them from venturing into red light districts. The incident occurred around in a project area for the construction of a highway between Bahawalpur and Faisalabad. Local media said cops refused to give permission to Chinese engineers and other workers from leaving their camps minus a security cover. When the workers refused protection, they were barred from leaving. And all hell broke loose.
The local administration has alleged several Chinese workers threatened and then attempted to thrash security personnel. Several even reportedly stood on police cars and eventually cut power supply to the area where their own Pakistani guards were being housed. ARY News reported that one of the workers even flung a chair at the security head.
The incident took place on Tuesday and while the situation was somehow brought under control, it was not the end of it. A day later, Chinese workers halted work on the construction site, abandoned heavy machinery on surrounding roads and then wrote a letter to government officials alleging that it is they who had been attacked by security personnel.
While the incident has been heavily criticised in Pakistan - a country increasingly looking for China's help in almost every field, there has been no official statement from the Chinese company or from Beijing regarding the incident, yet.
