New Delhi: Two Chinese nationals were killed, and one injured in a ‘terrorist attack’ near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi Sunday, China has claimed.
The explosion took place at 11 pm local time. The attack, triggered by a tanker explosion, allegedly targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals employed by the Port Qasim Electric Power Company.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in a statement to journalists over email, has claimed responsibility for the explosion. The explosion reportedly involved an improvised explosive device (IED).
According to Pakistani media, at least 10 people, including foreigners, were injured, and multiple vehicles were damaged in the blast. Local authorities reported a tanker explosion outside the Karachi airport—the biggest airport in the country. The spot—where vehicles were seen engulfed in thick clouds of smoke—saw heavy military deployment soon after.
The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan condemned the attack, expressing condolences for the victims and their families. In a statement by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, they shared “condolences to victims of both countries and sincere sympathies to the injured and families”. The Chinese also demanded a thorough investigation and strict punishment for the perpetrators, urging Pakistan to take all necessary measures to safeguard Chinese citizens and projects in the country.
“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,” the statement read. The embassy also advised Chinese citizens and businesses to be cautious.
Several Chinese workers, engineers, and educators are stationed in Pakistan as part of the ongoing operations of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and infrastructure projects. According to reports, the projected number of Chinese in Pakistan would rise to 5 million by 2025.
This incident marks another in a series of attacks on Chinese nationals by the BLA, a separatist group fighting for Balochistan’s independence. The BLA has increasingly targeted Chinese interests in Pakistan, which they see as a threat to their cause due to Beijing’s involvement in large-scale infrastructure projects, including the CPEC. The group claims that the Chinese participation is exploitative of the region and does not benefit locals.
A series of attacks against Chinese workers were witnessed in March this year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The killing of five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 26 March led to mighty pressure from China for the ‘need to increase security’ for Chinese nationals in the country.
In 2022, an attack on the Confucius Institute in Karachi led to the deaths of three Chinese language teachers. In this so-called ‘first attack’, a former university student-led a suicide attack near the gate of the institute targeting a minivan carrying staff.
The BLA is banned by Pakistani and foreign governments like the US that has designated it as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The group operates out of Balochistan, Pakistan’s province bordering Iran and Afghanistan, and seeks independence for the Baloch people, a region rich in mineral wealth and natural resources. While it is the largest province in Pakistan, poverty is the highest there despite being a resource-rich region.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhari)
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