Pakistan: 2 Chinese Nationals Shot And Injured At Karachi Factory As Beijing Presses For Improved Security

Pakistan News: Two Chinese nationals were injured in a shooting at a Karachi factory. China had demanded improved security following attacks, including a bombing that claimed two Chinese engineers' lives last month.

Pakistan News: Two Chinese nationals were injured on Tuesday after a security guard opened fire at a garment factory in Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub, marking the latest in a series of attacks targeting Chinese citizens in the country. This comes after Beijing demanded improved security for its nationals following violent incidents.

The shooting occurred at a factory in Karachi’s industrial area, where police presence was intensified, and forensic teams conducted investigations after the site was cordoned off, news agency Reuters reported. Senior Superintendent of Police Faizan Ali confirmed the incident, stating, "the Chinese nationals had been shot at," though he provided no additional information.

A police official, speaking anonymously, disclosed that the shooting was carried out by a security guard whose arrest remained pending. “It is difficult to ascertain the motive for the shooting,” the official added, as quoted by Reuters.

A spokesperson for Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital confirmed that the two Chinese nationals were receiving treatment, with one individual reportedly in a serious condition.

Chinese Demands Enhanced Security In Pakistan, Says Increasing Violence Against Nationals 'Unacceptable'

The attack follows recent violent incidents targeting Chinese nationals, including a bombing near Karachi’s international airport last month, which claimed the lives of two Chinese engineers. The separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for that bombing. China has intensified calls for enhanced security, with Ambassador Jiang Zaidong recently expressing at a gathering in Islamabad that the increasing violence against Chinese nationals was “unacceptable.”

The Pakistani foreign office reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to safeguarding Chinese citizens, institutions, and projects in Pakistan. On October 31, it issued a statement confirming that this commitment had been “conveyed at the highest levels of the Chinese government.”

Balochistan, a southwestern province where Chinese interests have faced frequent attacks, has seen a decades-long insurgency with militants demanding a larger share of the region's resources, Reuters reported. The province hosts Gwadar port, a key asset developed by Beijing as part of the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship initiative under President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative.