The recent terror attack in Karachi, targeting Chinese nationals near Karachi Airport, is a grave assault on Pakistan’s financial hub—an act that demands accountability. Claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), this attack is clearly aimed at destabilising the country and creating internal rifts, especially in the run-up to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Islamabad. The intent of the perpetrators is unmistakable.

They are not targeting military personnel or installations in Balochistan. Instead, they are targeting Chinese citizens, revealing their true objective: not the liberation of the Baloch people, but the disruption of the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China.

Pakistan has many adversaries in the region and faces foreign forces that view its strong relations with China as a threat to their own global interests. Just as Balochistan has been destabilised by foreign-funded armed groups like the BLA, these attacks are a continuation of that agenda to weaken Pakistan. The lives lost in these incidents are casualties in a broader global conflict, where superpowers manoeuvre for influence, moving nations like chess pieces.

Despite this external interference, Pakistan must also look inward. Serious introspection is needed to understand how such an attack was allowed to happen. Accountability must be ensured, not just for the perpetrators, but for those whose negligence enabled this tragedy. Pakistan is on the front line of this war, and our national defence must reflect that reality.

The government’s swift response, from the Prime Minister down to the Chief Ministers of Sindh and Balochistan, is a positive sign of how seriously this incident is being taken. However, the true measure of that seriousness will be demonstrated by the strength of the government’s actions. Fully dismantling the BLA, which has now extended its reach to major cities, is the only way to ensure security and stability.