An explosion on a street close to Pakistan’s biggest city’s airport resulted in the deaths of two Chinese citizens, according to Beijing’s embassy on Monday. The massive blast was audible in Karachi at approximately 11:00 pm on Sunday.
On X, the provincial government of southern Sindh stated that a “tanker” had detonated on the airport highway. The explosion occurs before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on Oct. 15-16, where delegations from China, Russia, and India will participate. Despite being on high alert, Islamabad is preparing for a series of important diplomatic events in the next two weeks, one of which is a visit from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated on Saturday that they had information suggesting protesters intended to cause disruption at the SCO conference to attract attention. “We must not permit this.” Naqvi reiterated a warning to them not to cross further red lines, urging them not to provoke extreme measures from us.
Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has conveyed his profound dismay regarding the tragic event in Karachi last night. I express strong disapproval of this atrocious event and extend my sincere sympathy to the leaders of China and its people, especially the families of those affected. “Hope for a speedy recovery for the injured,” he wrote in a post on X.
The individuals responsible for this cowardly act must not be Pakistanis; rather, they are enemies of Pakistan. A prompt investigation is currently being conducted in order to identify the individuals and hold them accountable. Pakistan is dedicated to protecting our Chinese friends. He stated that every effort will be made to guarantee their safety and welfare.
Following the explosion, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) stated that they had deliberately attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers and investors traveling from Karachi airport. According to a statement from Beijing’s embassy in Pakistan on Monday, two Chinese nationals were killed in a “terrorist attack” on a convoy of workers from the Chinese-financed Port Qasim power project. The embassy reported that the assault resulted in injuries to one Chinese national and multiple Pakistani individuals.
The embassy called on authorities to thoroughly investigate the attack, punish the perpetrators, and take practical steps to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions, and projects.
The BLA is a rebel group that campaigns for self-governance in Balochistan, Pakistan’s biggest yet least economically developed area. Regularly, the group has aimed its attacks at Chinese nationals, alleging that ethnic Baloch locals are not getting their rightful portion of wealth gained by foreign investors. According to Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, flights are operating normally from Karachi while authorities are looking into the incident/explosion at the site.