The black hand reached out to the Chinese again. But it must be said that the terrorist attack in Pakistan on April 26 had a very complicated background and was carefully planned by the mastermind behind the scenes.
Unfortunately, in this terrorist attack, 3 Chinese teachers of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi were killed, 1 Chinese teacher was injured, and many other Palestinians were injured or killed.
That night, Pakistani Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif, who had been in office for less than a month, rushed to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan. He was deeply saddened by the Chinese friends who lost their precious lives and expressed his sincerest condolences to the families of the victims, the Chinese government, and the Chinese people. Condolences, and promise to swear to bring the perpetrators to justice.
It is really sad. The murdered Chinese teacher said goodbye to their relatives and came to Pakistan. They should have felt the enthusiasm of their Pakistani friends, but they did not expect that the terrorists’ black hands were also waiting for them.
The reason why the background is not simple is a few superficial judgments.
First, it was a well-planned terrorist attack.
According to media reports, the terrorist attack took place on the campus of the University of Karachi, outside the gate of the Confucius Institute.
Surveillance systems at the scene showed a person wearing a female burqa, standing near the entrance to the Confucius Institute, who turned around as the white Toyota van was about to stop before the explosion.
According to the preliminary judgment of the Pakistani police, “we suspect this is a suicide attack”.
The terrorists planned carefully, knew who was on the bus and the route the bus was traveling, and they used their female identities to launch the attack.
Second, they should have seen security gaps.
In recent years, there have been many terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The Pakistani side has promised many times that it will protect the safety of Chinese friends in Pakistan. The Pakistani side has indeed taken many measures to thwart any possible attacks.
But this terrorist attack took place in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, and on the campus of the University of Karachi.
When you think about it, it’s on campus.
From the results of the successful attack, it is clear that the terrorists also know the loopholes in Pakistan’s security.
These loopholes must be plugged in in time.
Third, who is the real mastermind behind the scenes?
The incident occurred, and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a terrorist organization in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said a woman from the Majid Brigade had carried out the suicide attack.
The woman, who describes herself as Balochistan, holds a master’s degree in education. She posted her last farewell tweet at 12:10 local time.
If it is true, this kind of terrorist organization, such terrorists, is too outrageous.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement late at night on the 26th, expressing strong condemnation and great indignation over this major terrorist attack, deep condolences to the unfortunate victims, and condolences to the injured and their families.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear that the blood of the Chinese cannot be shed in vain, and the mastermind behind this incident will pay the price.
The Chinese embassy and consulate in Pakistan immediately launched an emergency plan, requiring the Pakistani side to make every effort to treat the wounded, conduct a thorough investigation of the attack, and severely punish the murderer. At the same time, it requires relevant departments at all levels in Pakistan to take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions, and projects in Pakistan, and to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again.
It is worth noting that the Pakistani government has repeatedly stated that the country’s violent terrorist forces and separatist movements have been intervened by third-party forces from the world. But no matter which force created the terrorist attack, it will inevitably pay a price, and it will be a heavy price.
Otherwise, the Chinese will not agree, and neither will the Pakistanis.
After all, China-Pakistan relations are not ordinary relations.
Before going to interview the war in Afghanistan in 2001, he worked in Pakistan for a long time. There is no doubt that Pakistanis are friendly to Chinese people, but it is an indisputable fact that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism situation is grim.
This is reminiscent of two previous terrorist attacks.
One happened in 2019, in Balochistan, the port of Gwadar that we are familiar with.
At the time, terrorists launched an attack on a five-star hotel. According to Pakistani media reports, there were at least 70 people in the hotel building at the time of the incident, including about 40 Chinese nationals. Although police later clarified that there were no Pakistani and Chinese guests in the hotel at the time of the attack.
Most likely, the residents were evacuated in time. The terrorist attack caused many casualties.
Another time, in 2018, in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, in broad daylight, three terrorists launched an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi.
Fortunately, the Pakistani police arrived quickly, and none of the Chinese diplomats and their families were injured in the end.
In the fierce exchange of fire at that time, three terrorists were killed and two Pakistani police officers were killed. They are truly heroes, and without them fighting so hard, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It was also in this terrorist attack that Su Hai, the well-publicized female police chief of Pakistan, also appeared.
The photo of her drawing a gun and rushing to the scene is impressive. On social media, many people praised her as “the daughter of Sindh” or “the daughter of Pakistan”.
The so-called “Baluchi Liberation Army” launched these two terrorist attacks. In addition, there was a major terrorist attack against the Chinese last year. Pakistani investigation believes that it was committed by another terrorist organization, the Pakistani Taliban (please note that it is Bata, not Atta, the two are not the same thing).
Why are some terrorist activities targeting China?
This shows the complexity of the current situation in Pakistan. Pakistan is indeed an iron buddy, but the close relationship between China and Pakistan has also made China a target of some terrorists, trying to put pressure on the Pakistani government.
Moreover, many of the attacks were not only in Balochistan but spread to Karachi and other places. A few years ago, it also directly attacked the Chinese consulate, and now it is targeting the shuttle bus of Chinese teachers.
It must be seen that those who do not see China-Pakistan friendship must be an absolute minority among the absolute minority in Pakistan. The vast majority of Pakistanis regard China as the most sincere and friendly brother.
But the lessons of blood must be deeply learned.
The terrorist attack on April 26 was not the first, and certainly will not be the last.
After the attack on the Chinese consulate that year, the foreign ministers of China and Pakistan quickly spoke on the phone. According to Xinhua News Agency, then-Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi assured Wang Yi that the Pakistan-China friendship is unique and precious and that Pakistan will protect the safety of its Chinese friends in Pakistan just as it protects its citizens.
Shabazz Sharif served as the chief minister of Punjab province, Pakistan’s largest province, for a long time before he became the prime minister of Pakistan. In response to the terrorist attacks on Chinese friends in Pakistan, he made it clear that the Pakistani side is very concerned about the safety of the Chinese in Pakistan, The safety of Chinese citizens is “more important than their own lives”.
After the Confucius Institute teacher bus was attacked this time, he, who has served as the prime minister, came to the Chinese embassy in person, and wrote the following words on the embassy stationery with the Chinese national emblem:
We are deeply shocked and distressed by the shameful attack on our “hard buddies”. All Pakistanis expressed their condolences for their loss and their condolences to the families of the victims. We are committed to eliminating all (illegal) militants and terrorists from Pakistani soil. We will not rest until the culprits are caught and punished.
These statements are still significant.
Indeed, “the blood of the Chinese cannot be shed in vain, and the mastermind behind this incident will surely pay the price.”
Of course, compatriots in Pakistan must pay more attention to safety during these extraordinary times.