In the wake of the Karachi university attack, China on Wednesday said that blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain and those behind the incident “will surely pay the price”.

Four people – including three Chinese nationals – were killed in a suicide blast outside a Chinese-built Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi. The Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department said that a female suicide bomber was ostensibly responsible for the explosion on the van carrying the Chinese nationals.

The banned militant group Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack

“The Chinese side expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major terrorist attack, and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in their remarks on the terrorist attack.

The spokesperson added that the Chinese foreign ministry and diplomatic missions in Pakistan have activated the emergency response mechanism immediately after the incident.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Wu Jianghao made an urgent phone call to the Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque to express extremely grave concern. He demanded that the Pakistani side “should immediately make a thorough investigation of the incident, apprehend and punish the perpetrators to the full extent of the law, and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan and prevent such incidents from happening again.”

The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and Consulate-General in Karachi are working with the Pakistani side to deal with the follow-up matters of the casualties, the spokesperson said. 

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan on Tuesday evening to convey condolences, saying: “The Pakistani government will conduct an in-depth probe into the incident, give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators, and strengthen the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan in an all-round way.”

The premier added that his government would never allow any force to undermine the Pakistan-China friendship. Local authorities in Sindh and Karachi have launched a full-scale investigation to hunt down the perpetrators.

“The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan will continue to urge relevant Pakistani departments to handle properly the follow-up matters of those killed, treat the injured, and resolutely crack down on the terrorist organization involved,” read the foreign ministry statement.