ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday vowed to punish the perpetrators of a militant attack in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi that killed three Chinese nationals among four people in April.
The Pakistani foreign minister pledged this at a memorial service in Islamabad to honor the victims of the attack, with Chinese charge d’affaires Pang Chunxue and other officials from the Chinese embassy in attendance.
Three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed on April 26 when a suicide bomber targeted a van they were traveling in inside the Karachi University. The attack was claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which said it was carried out by a woman suicide bomber.
Bhutto-Zardari said the people of Pakistan were all “shocked, anguished and saddened” by the tragic incident, and it was as much a loss for them as it was for China.
“To the families of those who perished, our entire nation grieves with you,” the Pakistan foreign minister said. “While we cannot bring back the departed, we will not rest until we have given exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.”
Apart from Pakistani security forces, Baloch separatists have also frequently targeted Chinese interests in Balochistan, where Beijing is involved in huge infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
China has pledged over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan under the CPEC framework that is a central part of China’s initiative to forge new “Silk Road” land and sea ties to markets in the Middle East and Europe.
Bhutto-Zardari promised that his country would not let anyone harm the “iron-clad friendship” between Pakistan and China.
“The sacrifices of both Chinese and Pakistanis in nurturing our bonds of brotherhood will not be in vain,” he said. “We will always cherish and honor the sacrifices that have enabled us to forge a Community of Shared Future in the New Era.”
The foreign minister promised complete safety and maximum security for Chinese citizens in Pakistan. “You are our guests, and we are determined to ensure your safety and comfort in our country,” he added.
