Police inspect a site around damaged vehicles following a suicide bombing near the Confucious Institute affiliated with the Karachi University, in Karachi on April 26, 2022. Photo:VCG

A day after the terror attack at the Confucius Institute in the University of Karachi in Pakistan which killed three Chinese nationals and a local and injured another Chinese, Sichuan Normal University that co-hosts the institute urged Pakistan to bring the perpetrators to justice, as many Pakistani students mourned the victims.  

The three Chinese teachers killed were Huang Guiping, the Chinese director stationed in the Confucius Institute, Ding Mufang and Chen Sai, a volunteer. Another teacher, Wang Yuqing, was injured.

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press conference that the Tuesday incident was a suicide terror attack targeting Chinese citizens. It was very vile in nature for making teachers, the promoter of culture exchanges and carriers of human civilization, the direct target. 

The Chinese government has attached great importance to the security of Chinese people and organizations. The Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan had started an emergency response and deployed staff to the site, said Wang, noting that the Consul General in Karachi had visited the injured Chinese national last night.

Wang reiterated that the blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain and China will work with Pakistan to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Pakistan government also promised to improve security on Chinese nationals and projects and not allow any forces to destroy the friendship and cooperation between China and Pakistan. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the fatal blast, to express his condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack and vowed to do whatever it takes to bring the perpetrators to justice, according to a release from the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.

Sichuan Normal University said it had set up a working group to assist the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and related departments in aftermath settlement and to take care of the families of the victims.

According to the university's website, the university launched the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi in 2013. As one of the biggest Confucius institutes in Pakistan, it has 30 Chinese teachers and two local teachers with more than 7,000 students registered. 

The terror attack shocked people in both China and Pakistan with many urging Pakistan to take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals. And on Wednesday, many people, especially students at the University of Karachi, mourned the teachers killed. 

Ramla, who is a student of Chen Sai, told the Global Times that she heard about the blast yesterday but did not know the names of the victims. "We were concerned and asked where our teachers were. Are they OK?"

Chen Sai with her students Photo: Courtesy to Chen's students

 
After Chen's death was confirmed, her students felt "so angry and so sad" and "couldn't believe what happened." 

"She deserves a better life and should not end like this. She was in our country… she was a guest. To be honest, I feel ashamed," Ramla said with tears in her eyes. "I am so sorry what happened to her and all other teachers. This shouldn't have happen." 

Ramla recalled Chen's patience to students and the happy moments. She said that she didn't know whether she will be able to go to the same classroom without Chen. 

Ramla also told the Global Times that she wanted to tell Chen's family that they raised a very good daughter. "She did not deserve this… She was perfect… I am going to remember her for the rest of my life. I will never forget her smile." 

Another Pakistani, Usman Khan, who studied at the Confucius Institute in Islambad, told the Global Times that he felt sad after hearing about the tragedy in Karachi and cried the whole night. 

The attack also raised concerns over security in Karachi. Li Wei, an expert on national security at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Wednesday that there are disturbing terrorist activities, especially in Baluchistan Province.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group, which took responsibility for the terror attack on Tuesday, has worked with local tribal forces in terror attacks, and use children and women strapped with bombs in suicide attacks, according to Li Wei. 

China and Pakistan can work together to counter terrorism, but it's more important to remove the soil for extremism and terrorism, which can be realized by economic development with the CPEC, and this is why the two countries will continue to promote CPEC projects to bring promising future to locals, said Li.