China has dispatched a task force to Pakistan following the latest deadly attack, which killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi last week. The group arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday and held meetings with the heads of Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministries, as well as with the police, armed forces, and intelligence services. China has urged the Pakistani authorities to enhance security measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and projects in Pakistan.
The team demanded that the Pakistani side properly handle the aftermath, spare no effort in treating the injured, thoroughly investigate the truth of the incident, apprehend and punish the perpetrators, and adopt stricter security measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions, and projects in Pakistan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.
The attack in Karachi, carried out by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), killed two Chinese nationals and injured several others near Jinnah International Airport on Sunday night when a truck packed with explosives was driven into a convoy.
The Chinese government expressed shock at the incident and urged Pakistan to take immediate security measures and conduct a thorough investigation.
Pakistani officials have stated that they are “committed to bringing the offenders to justice at any cost and to enhancing security measures to protect Chinese personnel in Pakistan,” according to the Chinese consulate. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also promised a comprehensive inquiry into the attack and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to protecting Chinese nationals and infrastructure projects.
The Ministry of State Security in China has emphasized the need for improved early warning systems in regions with substantial Chinese interests, enhanced intelligence sharing, and increased collaboration with law enforcement. It has also underscored the importance of combating terrorism as a shared responsibility of the international community and a critical priority.
The attack has raised concerns about the safety of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key element of China’s transcontinental Belt and Road Initiative, especially given the unstable security landscape in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
The Chinese embassy has cautioned Chinese nationals against going to Pakistan, urging them to avoid those two provinces because of the rise in attacks on Chinese personnel and projects.
The BLA, which wants Balochistan to be independent, has increasingly targeted Chinese interests in Pakistan over the past few years, accusing them of exploiting local resources.
Next week Pakistan will host a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security group, in the capital Islamabad. On Thursday, the country’s foreign ministry advised foreign diplomats to restrict their movements during the summit.
According to Reuters, local authorities are restricting the movement of Chinese citizens during the summit. The report cited an internal security notice shared with the Chinese authorities stating that movements, including travel between cities and air travel, would be limited from Monday to Thursday next week.
Team BharatShakti (With inputs from Reuters)
