Karachi Suicide Bombing
When the citizens of a country start working against its interests, attempting to harm, tarnish, and ultimately destroy it, the survival of that country is undoubtedly threatened, and those citizens become a cautionary tale. Unfortunately, this is what is happening here. While it is true that every nation has a few individuals who seek to destroy their own homes, when the number of such elements increases, the consequences are inevitable, as those who ignite fires do not remain unscathed. Pakistan has been facing internal strife and political instability for almost a decade. The elections of 2018 and February 2024 reflect this pattern.
Such circumstances embolden malevolent elements, who find facilitators easily. Each day, a soldier, police officer, or security personnel lays down their life for the country. Every life is precious, yet we continue to avoid taking the necessary steps to establish the rule of law within the country, allowing citizens to live in a peaceful and secure environment to conduct their daily affairs.
Four days ago, near Karachi’s international airport at Shahrah-e-Faisal, a suicide bomber, driving a vehicle loaded with 70 to 80 kilograms of explosives, rammed into a vehicle in a Chinese convoy. The suicide bomber is believed to have been a resident of Balochistan, who arrived in Karachi on October 4th and stayed at a hotel. On Sunday afternoon, he checked out of the hotel and reached his target. A double-cabin vehicle was used in the attack.
Our government and law enforcement agencies responded in their usual manner. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, the Senate Chairman, and the Speaker of the National Assembly expressed deep sorrow and regret over the incident. Interior Minister Naqvi, instead of presenting a roadmap to prevent such tragic incidents, limited himself to offering condolences and condemnation.
Every patriotic Pakistani was deeply saddened by this act of terrorism. Each citizen is distressed, wondering where we are heading. China, too, has demanded a thorough investigation and severe punishment for the culprits. This tragic attack on Chinese citizens is also an attack on the strong and close ties between China and Pakistan, which must not be ignored. It is not the first attack on Chinese experts working on various projects in Pakistan or on the China-Pakistan relationship. Ever since work began on the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly CPEC, Chinese experts have been targeted.
China and Pakistan highly value and cherish their mutual relations. While goodwill for China exists at every level in Pakistan, some elements cannot digest these strong relations. These elements are striving to halt various projects and end China’s presence at Gwadar Port. The *South China Morning Post* reported on October 8th that since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, road and railway networks have been strengthening across 150 countries worldwide. China is particularly interested in Pakistan’s development, but working in Pakistan is becoming increasingly difficult. Recently, provocative protests were held in Gwadar, and Chinese nationals were targeted on the Karakoram Highway. Similarly, Chinese experts working on the Bhasha Dam have also been attacked, as well as Chinese individuals at Karachi University. All this, supposedly in the name of Balochistan’s rights, is unfortunate.
In light of the Karachi incident, a senior official was immediately removed from their post. Security cameras in the area are being used to gather information, and two facilitators of the suicide bomber have been arrested for questioning. If you think about it, these are traditional steps that will soon be forgotten. We have become accustomed to avoiding the serious actions that are needed. The suicide bomber, with a vehicle packed with 70 to 80 kilograms of high explosives, traveled through various parts of the city and passed several checkpoints to reach his target. He waited at the location and struck his target. Throughout this entire time, no one noticed anything.
If no one noticed, it is a grave failure, and if they did, then why wasn’t the attack thwarted in time? Allowing an explosives-laden vehicle to remain at a traffic signal near the airport on Shahrah-e-Faisal is extremely regrettable and cannot be excused. It is also concerning who provided information to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) about the movement of Chinese experts. It was based on this information that the suicide bomber planned and executed the attack. Merely removing one official is insufficient. It is imperative to track down the agents linked to the BLA and subject them to severe punishment. We learned no lessons from the killings of engineers working on the Bhasha Dam. We must ensure that such information does not reach anti-Pakistan forces in the future. We need to move beyond conventional measures and statements, or else we will remain at the mercy of anti-state elements.
