China's Confidence In Pakistan's Security 'Seriously Shaken' After Karachi Uni Minibus Blast: Senior Lawmaker

This is the third such attack on Chinese nationals in Pakistan in a year. Senator Mushahid Hussain said that security agencies have been caught napping.

New Delhi: After three Chinese nationals were killed in a minibus explosion inside the premises of Karachi University on April 26, China's confidence in Pakistan's ability to protect the Chinese workers in the country is 'seriously shaken', a senior lawmaker said. This is the third terrorist attack on Chinese citizens on Pakistani soil in a year. The three Chinese individuals who were killed were professors of the Confucius Institute - a China-built non-profit institute teaching the Chinese language to local pupils - in the port city.

According to a report by Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper, Senator Mushahid Hussain, the chairman of the Senate Defence Committee, said: "The Chinese confidence in Pakistan's security system's ability to protect their citizens and their projects is seriously shaken."

"It has caused serious concern and understandable indignation in China. More so, the pattern of attacks is so recurring and it's clear that Pakistani promises of 'foolproof security' are mere words, not matched by countermeasures on the ground," he added.

Hussain slammed Pakistan’s security system for being indolent and said that the security agencies have been caught napping. He shared the concern that if such instances become more regular it wouldn’t be just the Chinese but other foreign investors will be forced to review their role in Pakistan. 

He made these remarks while sharing the mood on the Chinese side following the deadly attack. Earlier, Senator Mushahid led a Senate delegation to the Chinese embassy last week to express condolences over the loss of three Chinese lives in a suicide attack on their van on the university's premises last month.

According to many reports circulated around social media, the Chinese workers are leaving Pakistan after the attacks. However, a Chinese source denied these claims of "exodus".

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has also condemned the attack.

(With Agency Inputs)