‘BLA chief’ nominated in FIR of Chinese convoy attack

Police have finally registered the first information report (FIR) of the recent suicide bombing that targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers near the airport signal in Karachi, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals, including two Chinese nationals.

FIR No. 142/24 has been filed under the Pakistan Penal Code’s sections 302 (murder), 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharging duty), 324 (attempted murder), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharging public functions) and 427 (mischief causing damage).

The case registered at the Counter Terrorism Department police station on the complaint of the Airport police station’s SHO Kaleem Khan Moosa also includes sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The FIR quotes the SHO as saying that while he was on duty at around 11pm, a loud explosion was heard. Upon investigation, it was found that the explosion had occurred on the road in front of the CAA Guardroom, near the outer signal of Jinnah International Airport Terminal Road.

Several vehicles were destroyed in the blast, and fires broke out. Multiple individuals, including Rangers, police personnel and civilians, were injured, while two Chinese nationals were killed on the spot. Their bodies were found near the coaster, while parts of a third body were retrieved from a nearby drain.

The complainant stated that when the police arrived at the blast site, witnesses informed them that an unidentified man driving a Toyota Hilux had intentionally crashed his explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy of Chinese engineers, which was heading towards Sharea Faisal from the Jinnah Terminal. The explosion occurred as the convoy was passing by.

The FIR notes that through media outlets, the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, and that the key masterminds behind the attack are associated with the BLA, including BLA chief Bashir Ahmed Baloch, alias Bashir Zaib, and Abdur Rahman, alias Rehman Gul.

They, along with other accomplices, brainwashed the suicide bomber and carried out the attack using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The motive behind the attack was to harm Pakistan-China relations, promote terrorism in Pakistan with the support of a hostile foreign spy agency, and disrupt the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

The FIR also states that the attackers aimed to undermine the morale of the country’s security agencies, and destabilise the region for financial and ideological benefits linked to their banned group.

Meanwhile, there have been unconfirmed reports that the suicide bomber involved in the airport attack, namely Fahad, had stayed at two hotels in the Saddar area, which are being investigated.

The investigators also plan on carrying out phased inspections of hotels and guest houses where people from other cities typically stay. Some individuals have reportedly been taken into custody. Police mentioned that those whose details are verified will be released once their credentials are fully cleared.