Pakistan has firmly rejected a media report that claimed Beijing had urged Islamabad to allow Chinese security personnel to protect the thousands of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan, following the bombing near Karachi airport. The report, published by Reuters on Monday, cited unnamed sources saying that China had requested its own security staff in response to a deadly car bombing that was seen as a significant security breach.
The attack, which took place last month, killed two Chinese nationals among three victims in a suicide bombing near Karachi’s international airport. The Balochistan Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack via social media.
During her weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch dismissed the Reuters report as “speculation” and “motivated by an agenda.” She urged the media to consider the motivations behind such reports, emphasizing that Pakistan and China maintain strong diplomatic ties based on mutual respect, cooperation, and a shared commitment to safeguarding each other’s sovereignty. “Both countries have the resolve and capabilities to counter any attempts to harm their bilateral relations,” she added.
The Reuters report had suggested that a series of attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan had prompted Islamabad to begin formal discussions with Beijing on establishing a joint security management system.
In the same briefing, Baloch addressed the escalating threat of terrorism in Pakistan, highlighting the surge in attacks since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. She reiterated Pakistan’s call for Afghan authorities to take action against terror groups operating from Afghan soil, warning that the patience of the Pakistani people must not be tested.
“We urge the Afghan authorities to take our repeated requests seriously and take necessary steps against these terrorist groups,” Baloch said. “The patience of the Pakistani people should not be tested in the face of the ongoing terror threat from individuals and groups based in Afghanistan.”
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), terrorist violence in Pakistan saw a sharp rise in the third quarter of 2024, with a 90% increase in fatalities compared to the previous quarter. The report recorded 722 deaths, including civilians, security personnel, and militants, with nearly 97% of these fatalities occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. These provinces also accounted for over 92% of all terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations in the period.
