China warns against Pakistan travel in wake of deadly blast near Karachi airport

Beijing’s embassy urges avoiding Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where attacks on Chinese workers and projects have surged

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Security officials on Monday examine the site of a suicide attack that killed two Chinese nationals outside the international airport in Karachi, Pakistan. Photo: AP

Published: 8:08pm, 8 Oct 2024

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan has urged its citizens to reconsider travel plans to the country following a deadly attack near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport that killed two Chinese workers and injured several others.

In a statement on Monday, the embassy advised Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to the southwest province of Balochistan and the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which have seen a surge in attacks targeting Chinese personnel and projects.

The explosion occurred at around 11pm local time on Sunday when a convoy carrying Chinese engineers and investors was struck by a vehicle-borne explosive device.

The separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, stating that one of its suicide bombers targeted Chinese workers from a joint China-Pakistan coal-fired power plant project as they left the airport.

Beijing called on Islamabad to “severely punish” the attackers. A Monday statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Beijing was “shocked” by the event.

“China calls on the Pakistan side to plug security loopholes and take specific action to protect the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Chinese nationals … in Pakistan,” it said.