Pakistan arrests ‘important accused’ suspect linked to Karachi’s Confucius Institute blast that killed 3 Chinese teachers

In April, a female suicide bomber belonging to the separatist Baloch Liberation Army blew herself up near a van inside the university campus

April bombing was first major attack against Chinese nationals in Pakistan since July 2021 when a suicide bomber targeted a passenger bus in northern Pakistan

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A police officer stands guard near a passenger van, cordoned after a blast at the entrance of the Confucius Institute University of Karachi, Pakistan on April 26. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:34pm, 5 Jul 2022Updated: 8:43pm, 5 Jul 2022

Pakistani officials on Tuesday said a key suspect linked to the blast at the University of Karachi’s Confucius Institute that left four people dead in April had been arrested.

Three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver were killed when a female suicide bomber belonging to the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) blew herself up near a van inside the university campus. The attack also wounded a fourth Chinese national and a Pakistani guard accompanying the vehicle.

Appraising the progress of the case with a visiting Chinese delegation that included consul general of China in Karachi Li Bijian and counterterrorism experts, Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon on Monday was quoted by local media as saying that an in-depth investigation into the bombing led to the arrest of an “important accused”.

The police chief did not provide any details on the suspect.

In a press conference on Tuesday, the Information Minister of Sindh province, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said the attack was jointly organised by the BLA and another group, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF).