China demands punishment for perpetrators of suicide attack

China has strongly condemned the recent suicide attack at the University of Karachi and wants Pakistan to apprehend and punish the perpetrators.

According to a statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday, China's assistant minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao called the Pakistani Ambassador to China to "express extremely grave concern."

"He demanded that the Pakistani side should immediately make 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 statement expressed condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families, and added that the Chinese foreign ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan will continue to urge relevant departments to "handle properly the follow-up matters of those killed, treat the injured, and resolutely crack down on the terrorist organization involved."

3 Chinese nationals killed in Karachi University blast

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

On Tuesday, at least four people including three Chinese nationals were killed and four others injured after a suicide blast targeted a van carrying staff from the Confucius Institute at Karachi university. The institute was jointly established by University of Karachi and Sichuan Normal University in China in 2013 with the aim of deepening international understanding of Chinese language and culture, and promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Sindh’s Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Maher said the blast ripped through the vehicle at about 2:30pm when it was near the university’s Commerce Department.

The banned Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

CCTV footage broadcast by local channels showed a woman standing near the gate of the institute, inside the Karachi University grounds, as a minibus pulled up. When it got to within a metre of her she turned her back on it and detonated a bomb strapped to her body.

PM visits Chinese embassy

Following the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese embassy in Islamabad to convey his condolences. He said that the incident would be investigated expeditiously and the country would make an example out of the culprits behind this horrific attack.

"The PM said that any attack on iron ties between Pakistan and China was unbearable, and any such miscreant activity won’t be allowed to affect the great bilateral relations between the two states. All arrangements for repatriation of dead bodies and return of injured will be made," the statement added.