China gifts Islamabad 21 fire, rescue vehicles worth Rs3 billion

China’s Embassy in Pakistan announced on Tuesday that Beijing was gifting a modern fleet of 21 fire and rescue vehicles, valued at Rs3 billion, “to upgrade Islamabad’s emergency response infrastructure”.

According to a post on X, the Chinese Embassy said the fleet would arrive this month and comprise an “advanced 88m snorkel tender”, substantially bolstering emergency response capability and high-rise rescue operations across the capital.

The embassy added that the fleet was a “testament to our timeless, All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership serving and protecting our communities together”.

The announcement came after 14 newborn babies were killed when a fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital's war at Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. The incident prompted citizens and political parties to begin demanding action against those responsible. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later ordered immediate action against eight people identified by an inquiry committee over the fire, approving their suspension as well as departmental and criminal proceedings. Those suspended included the executive director.

The fleet is also another development in regards to the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Beijing and Islamabad, with the two agreeing earlier this year to deepen mutual trust, practical cooperation, and defence and security cooperation.

The commitment came during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China in May this year, when the two countries also released a joint communique noting that Islamabad had committed to taking steps to strengthen security measures, while Beijing reaffirmed its support for Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.

On the occasion, China affirmed its position to work with Pakistan to establish the China-Pakistan Security Partnership, continue bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, and strengthen military-to-military cooperation.

Read: Pakistan, China deepen IT, agriculture ties

Later, in July, the two countries reaffirmed commitment to strengthening their strategic security partnership and expanding counterterrorism cooperation. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, during a meeting with a high-level Chinese delegation including Beijing's vice minister of public security, pledged to deeped bilateral cooperation in internal security.

China and Pakistan have also sought to deepen cooperation across other fields as well. At the beginning of this year, in January, the two countries held the seventh round of their Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue in Beijing, reiterating zero tolerance for terrorism, agreeing to strengthen security cooperation and align development plans under CPEC 2.0, while stressing closer coordination on regional stability, particularly Afghanistan.

Economic cooperation has also broadened beyond infrastructure.

Since January, the two countries have announced agreements on agricultural investment, livestock development, mineral cooperation and technology transfer under the next phase of CPEC. Chinese firms have also signed multiple Memorandums of Understanding with Pakistani partners in agriculture and livestock, while both sides have promoted cooperation in research, industrial development and talent training.