China reacts strongly to Karachi suicide attack

BEIJING: Expressing its strong condemnation of the Karachi terrorist attack, China on Wednesday demanded a thorough investigation of the terrorist attack in the University of Karachi in which three Chinese nationals were killed while one was injured.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the Pakistani side should immediately make a thorough investigation of the incident, “apprehend and punish the perpetrators to the full extent of the law and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan and prevent such incidents from happening again.”

The spokesperson extended deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families. “The Chinese side expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major terrorist attack and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families,” he added.

In a statement issued in this regard, he mentioned: “On the afternoon of April 26, a van of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi was hit by a suicide terrorist attack. So far, the incident has left three Chinese teachers dead and one injured. There are also casualties on the Pakistani side.”

The spokesperson said that the Chinese foreign ministry and diplomatic missions in Pakistan had activated the emergency response mechanism immediately after the incident.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao also made an urgent phone call to the Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque to express extremely grave concern.

“The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and Consulate-General in Karachi are working with the Pakistani side to deal with the follow-up matters of the casualties,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that the Chinese foreign ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan would continue to urge relevant Pakistani departments to handle properly the follow-up matters of those killed, treat the injured, and resolutely crack down on the terrorist organisation involved.

“The blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain, and those behind this incident will surely pay the price,” he added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad to convey condolences, saying that the government will conduct an 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 an all-round way.

He said his government will never allow any force to undermine the Pakistan-China friendship. Local authorities in Sindh and Karachi have launched a full-scale investigation to hunt down the perpetrators.