The Chinese embassy in Pakistan has called on Islamabad to punish those responsible for a deadly attack on Chinese nationals near Jinnah International Airport in the southern city of Karachi on Sunday night.
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At least two Chinese were killed and one Chinese and several Pakistanis were wounded, China’s embassy said on Monday morning.
The embassy said that around 11pm on Sunday a “terrorist attack” was launched on vehicles of a China-funded electric power company.
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Massive blast in Karachi kills 2 Chinese nationals as separatist group claims responsibility
Massive blast in Karachi kills 2 Chinese nationals as separatist group claims responsibility
The embassy demanded Islamabad “conduct a thorough investigation of the attack, and severely punish the perpetrators”, stressing the need to “take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan”.
“The Chinese embassy and consulates general in Pakistan strongly condemn this act of terrorism, express deep condolences for the victims from both countries, and extend sincere sympathies to the injured and their families,” it said, adding that the Chinese side had been working with Pakistani authorities in the aftermath.
In a post on X on Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply shocked and saddened by last night’s tragic incident” and “strongly [condemns] this heinous act”.
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“The perpetrators of this dastardly incident cannot be Pakistanis but are sworn enemies of Pakistan,” he said, adding that an investigation was under way to “identify them and bring them to justice”.
In a statement emailed to the media, separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said it carried out the attack using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeting “a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors”.