PM Shehbaz says heinous conspiracy to damage Pak-China ties will not be tolerated.  This barbaric act will not go unpunished, says Foreign Office.  China hopes Pakistan will severely punish the murderer.

KARACHI   - Two Chinese nationals were killed and at least 10 other people injured in a suicide car bombing near the airport, police and rescue officials said on Monday. The condition of two of the wounded was said to be serious. All the injured were shifted to hospital on ambulances soon after the attack. A third body, yet to be identified by police, is thought to be that of the attacker.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said the explosion on Sunday night was a terrorist attack targeting a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh province.

Reportedly, the terrorist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has in recent years carried out attacks on Chinese nationals involved in development projects in Pakistan, claimed responsibility the gruesome attack. The terrorist group in a statement claimed that it was a suicide attack, and named the militant as Shah Fahad, part of a BLA suicide squad called Majeed Brigade.

Initial police investigations revealed that the attack was carried out by using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The explosion took place late Sunday night. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack a “heinous act” and offered his condolences to the Chinese people. “Pakistan stands committed to safeguarding our Chinese friends,” he wrote on X.

The foreign ministry said it is “in close contact” with Chinese authorities and will “bring to justice those responsible for this cowardly attack.”

“This act of terrorism is an attack not only on Pakistan, but also on the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China,” the ministry said. “ This barbaric act will not go unpunished,” it added.

“This deplorable act of terrorism is an attack not only on Pakistan but also on the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China...We remain resolute in bringing to justice those responsible for this cowardly attack, including the Majeed Brigade,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.

She said that Pakistan’s security and law enforcement agencies would spare no effort in apprehending the perpetrators and their facilitators.

She said that Pakistan and China were close partners and iron-brothers, united by a bond of mutual respect and shared destiny.

“Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan, and will continue to work hand in hand with our Chinese brothers to defeat the forces of terror, “ the spokesperson reiterated.

The Chinese embassy said that the engineers were part of the Chinese-funded enterprise Port Qasim Power Generation Co Ltd, which aims to build two coal power plants at Port Qasim, near Karachi.

Thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan, many of them involved in creating an economic corridor between the two countries as part of Beijing’s multibillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

The Port Qasim plant is part of the corridor, along with a number of infrastructure and energy projects in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which has a rich supply of natural resources, including gas and minerals.

The Chinese embassy on Monday reminded its citizens and Chinese enterprises in Pakistan to be vigilant and to “do their best to take safety precautions”. The embassy added that it hoped Pakistan would thoroughly investigate the attack and “severely punish the murderer”.

The blast was reportedly heard in various areas around the city, with footage from local media showing thick smoke and cars set alight.

Pictures online show security officials and firefighters investigating the explosion site, with several vehicles charred by the blast.

A police surgeon, Dr Summaiya told a private TV channel, “Ten injured persons, including one in critical condition, were brought the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre [JPMC]. She added the injured included a police constable and a woman.

A statement posted on X from Sindh’s Interior Minister’s office said that a “tanker truck” had exploded on Airport Road. Roads leading to Jinnah International Airport were sealed off following the attack, but the airport is functioning as usual on Monday.

PM visits Chinese Embassy

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday visited the Chinese Embassy, where he met the Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong to offer his heartfelt condolences over the loss of Chinese citizens’ lives in a terrorist attack in Karachi. The prime minister expressed deep sorrow and anger over the loss of Chinese citizens in the terrorist attack.

“The government is fully mobilized to swiftly identify those responsible for this incident,” the prime minister said. He assured that after identifying those responsible, they will be brought to justice without delay.

“The protection of the lives and property of our Chinese brothers in Pakistan is our top priority,” he added.

The prime minister emphasized the government will not tolerate this heinous conspiracy aimed at damaging Pakistan-China relations. He said he will personally monitor the investigation of this incident assuring that security arrangements for foreign nationals would be further strengthened.

The Chinese Ambassador expressed gratitude to the prime minister for the swift response and the initiation of investigations following the terrorist incident in Karachi. He expressed confidence in the Government of Pakistan for effective investigations, swift identification of the responsible terrorists, and ensuring that they are brought to justice promptly. He hoped that those responsible for this incident will be punished as soon as possible. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and senior officials from relevant departments were present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the United Nations on Monday condemned the terrorist attack near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, which left two Chinese nationals dead, saying civilians should never be targeted.

Late on Sunday night, a massive explosion occurred on a road near the Airport, killing a total of three people and injuring at least 11 others, including a Chinese citizen.

“We condemn this act of terror that we saw in Pakistan,” the UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in response to a question at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

“Civilians should never ever be the targets and we extend our condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and governments of both Pakistan and the People’s Republic of China,”  Dujarric said on behalf of the UN chief.