China condemns the suicide assault at Karachi University and asks that the culprits be punished.
On Wednesday, China voiced “strong disapproval and anger” over the suicide assault at the University of Karachi’s (KU) Confucius Institute the day before, which killed four people, including three Chinese nationals.
The incident occurred as a vehicle carrying three Chinese professors approached the Confucius Institute. CCTV footage revealed a burqa-clad lady waiting outside the Confucius Institute’s gate who detonated herself immediately as the van approached the institute’s door.
As a result, three Chinese professors, including Confucius Institute head Ding Mupeng, and the driver of the van were slain.
The incident was later claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army.
In answer to a query on the event during a news conference on Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry official said three Chinese instructors were killed and one was injured.
Recognizing that “there are also deaths on the Pakistani side,” he said, “the Chinese side expresses strong condemnation and anger over this massive terrorist assault, and sends heartfelt condolences to the victims and sympathy to the injured and bereaved families.”
He went on to say that the Chinese foreign ministry and diplomatic posts in Pakistan promptly triggered the “emergency reaction system,” and that Chinese Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Wu Jianghao made an urgent phone call to Pakistan’s ambassador in China.
According to the spokeswoman, the Chinese minister voiced “great worry” over the occurrence during the phone and urged that Pakistan undertake an early investigation. The minister also asked that the perpetrators of the crime be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and that all reasonable precautions be made to safeguard the safety of Chinese people in Pakistan in the future.
“The Chinese embassy in Pakistan and consulate-general in Karachi are collaborating with the Pakistani side to address the fatalities’ follow-up issues,” a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
He also mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday evening, saying that the premier had conveyed his condolences and that the Pakistan government would conduct a “in-depth probe” into the incident, “give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators, and strengthen the security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan in a comprehensive manner.”
According to the spokesman, Prime Minister Shehbaz has stated that the Pakistani government will “never allow any force to destroy the Pakistan-China relationship.”
Local officials in Sindh and Karachi, according to the spokesperson’s statement, have already initiated a “full-scale inquiry to track down the offenders.”
“The Chinese foreign ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan will continue to encourage relevant Pakistani authorities to appropriately manage the follow-up affairs of those slain, treat the injured, and forcefully clamp down on the terrorist organisation responsible,” added the spokesman.
“The Chinese people’s blood should not be lost in vain, and those responsible for this catastrophe will undoubtedly pay the price.”
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah visited the Chinese embassy in Karachi and informed Consul General Li Bijian about the explosion.
The CM expressed his condolences for the deaths of Chinese nationals and promised that the event would be thoroughly investigated and those responsible would be brought to justice.
According to the state-run APP, Pakistan Ambassador to China Moinul Haque has also expressed shock and grief over the event and the deaths of Chinese people.
“The entire nation is in shock and mourns the loss of these precious lives, particularly our Chinese friends,” he wrote in a statement, adding that the barbaric act was a direct attack on the friendship and continuous collaboration between Pakistan and China.
