Beijing urges Pakistan to ensure safety of Chinese nationals after Gwadar suicide attack

The Chinese and Pakistani flags fly on a sign along a road towards Gwadar, Pakistan January 26, 2016. (REUTERS)

• Two children were killed and a Chinese national injured when a suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals in Gwadar
• The Chinese embassy demanded ‘practical and effective measures’ to prevent future militant attacks against its workers in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Chinese diplomatic mission in Pakistan on Friday demanded “practical and effective measures” to ensure the safety of its nationals in the country and preclude the possibility of future militant attacks against them.
The embassy issued the statement after a suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying Chinese citizens in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province that killed two local children and injured a Chinese national.
The incident took place about a month after another deadly attack that killed nine Chinese workers who were constructing a hydroelectricity dam in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Relevant departments at all levels in Pakistan must take practical and effective measures to accelerate [and] implement ... security measures and upgraded security cooperation mechanism to ensure that similar incidents [do] not happen again,” said the statement.
The Chinese authorities also asked Pakistan to “properly treat the wounded, conduct a thorough investigation [into] the attack, and severely punish the perpetrators.”
The suicide attack on Friday was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group that has also launched similar attacks in the past.
Pakistan’s interior ministry described the suicide bomber as a “young boy” who ran toward the convoy as it neared a fishermen’s colony in Gwadar.
“Fortunately, soldiers of Pakistan army in plain clothes employed as hang around security rushed to intercept the boy who immediately exploded himself about 15-20 meters away from the convoy,” it said.
“Resultantly, a Chinese National got injured. He is stable and has been evacuated to nearest Gwadar Hospital. Unfortunately, two innocent children playing nearby the incident site lost their precious lives while another two children received critical injuries in the heinous act,” it continued. “They have been evacuated to the hospital.”
The ministry further added that Pakistan was already undertaking a comprehensive security review to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country.
The Chinese diplomatic mission in Pakistan condemned the attack and offered its condolences to its victims in Pakistan.
It also described the security situation in the country as “severe,” asking its citizens “to be vigilant [and] strengthen safety precautions.”