China on Monday condemned the massive blast outside the Karachi airport in southern Pakistan that killed two of its nationals and injured another, urging the Pakistani government to “severely punish” the perpetrators. The Chinese embassy and consulates general in Pakistan, in a statement, also advised its citizens living in Pakistan to remain vigilant.
“The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan have launched an emergency plan immediately, requesting the Pakistani side to thoroughly investigate the attack, severely punish the perpetrators, and take all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan. It reminds Chinese citizens, enterprises and projects in Pakistan to be vigilant, pay close attention to the security situation, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions,” the statement read.
The Embassy termed the explosion a “terrorist attack” and also expressed condolences over the loss of the lives of the victims.
“The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep condolences to the innocent victims of both countries and sincere sympathies to the injured and families, and are making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side,” it said.
According to the Chinese embassy statement, the incident took place on Sunday night when a convoy carrying Chinese staff of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. Some other Pakistani citizens were also injured in the attack.
Videos and pictures on social media showed flames engulfing cars and a thick column of smoke rising from the incident spot.
Rahat Hussain, who works in the civil aviation department, said that the blast in Karachi was so big that it “shook the airport’s buildings”, reported AP. Meanwhile, the provincial home minister, Zia Ul Hassan, told local media that the explosion was an attack “targeting foreigners”.
Militant group BLA claims responsibility
Shortly after the attack, the militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility in a statement emailed to journalists, reported Reuters. The group said the explosion was an attack carried out by them using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeting Chinese nationals, including engineers.
The BLA seeks independence for the province of Balochistan, located in Pakistan’s southwest and bordering on Afghanistan and Iran.
In August, the militant group launched coordinated attacks in the province, in which more than 70 people were killed.
(With inputs from agencies)
