After Karachi blast, China asks Pakistan to address 'root causes' of terror

Beijing has urged Islamabad to increase efforts to protect Chinese projects and personnel in Pakistan and address the "root cause of the problem" of terrorism, after Tuesday's Karachi blast that claimed the lives of three Chinese nationals.

Three Chinese nationals were among the four persons killed in a car explosion inside the premises of the University of Pakistan in Karachi on Tuesday. The blast occurred in a van near Confucius Institute -- a Chinese language teaching centre at Karachi University.

The Chinese state media outlet condemned the blast and demanded the Pakistani side make more efforts to protect the safety of Chinese projects and personnel.

"We strongly demand that the Pakistani side make more efforts to protect the safety of Chinese institutions, projects and personnel in Pakistan, and make those organizations understand that those who try to hurt the Chinese will only bring destruction on themselves," the Global Times said in an editorial.

The English language newspaper argued that China must warn that forces targeting Chinese nationals in attacks will be stricken the hardest.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed responsibility for this incident, has repeatedly threatened to launch attacks on Chinese companies and citizens in Pakistan, the newspaper said.

The BLA attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi in 2018 and staged a suicide attack near the Gwadar Port in August 2021, injuring a Chinese national. "It can be said that several serious terrorist attacks against Chinese citizens are linked to this group," the editorial said.

According to the Chinese Communist party-backed daily, Pakistan has strengthened the protection of Chinese nationals but failed to address the root causes of the problem.

"We must point out that Pakistan has strengthened the protection of Chinese nationals in recent years but without addressing the root causes of the problem, there will always be loopholes," it added.

(ANI)

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