Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday termed theattack on a five-star hotel in the port city of Gwadar in Balochistan provinceas a bid to “sabotage prosperity” in the area.
Three gunmen stormed the Pearl Continental hotel in thestrategic port city of Gwadar on Saturday. The attack and subsequent siegelasted several hours.
One security guard was killed in the attack claimed by theoutlawed Balochistan Liberation Army. All three gunmen were later shot dead bythe security forces.
“Such attempts especially in Balochistan are an effortto sabotage our economic projects and prosperity. We shall not allow theseagendas to succeed. Pakistani nation and its security forces shall defeat themall,” Khan said in a statement issued by his office and cited by thePakistani media.
A hotel spokesman said there were no guests (at the time ofthe attack) and few staff present due to Ramzan. However, earlier reports saidthat hotel guests had been evacuated safely.
The terror group said that the hotel — the centrepiece of amulti-billion dollar Chinese project — was selected in order to target Chineseand other investors.
The hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking the Gwadar port onthe Arabian Sea, which is being developed by China as part of theChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a network of roads, rail lines and pipelinesbetween the two countries.