Chinese nationals among four killed in Karachi University blast

KARACHI: Four people including three Chinese nationals were killed while several others were injured as a van caught fire after an explosion near Confucius Institute at University of Karachi, ARY News reported.

According to initial reports, a van carrying teachers- mostly Chinese nationals- caught fire after a blast near the Confucius Institute leaving a number of passengers and security personnel injured.

Police say the van, which was carrying Chinese nationals from their residence inside Karachi University premises to Confucius Institute- a non-profit institute teaching Chinese- was targeted by a suicide bomber.

University of Karachi spokesperson confirmed that at least two Chinese teachers have lost their lives in the blast while DIG East later raised the death toll to four including three Chinese nationals.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the blast and has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in the attack and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

About Confucius Institute

Confucius Institute at University of Karachi (CIUK) was jointly established by University of
Karachi and Sichuan Normal University in China in 2013. CIUK is a non-profit education
institutionwith the aim of communicating Chinese, deepening international understanding of
Chinese language and culture, and promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and Pakistan.

Since its inception, CIUK has developed from a small institute into the largest Chinese
language center in Pakistan in terms of the number of teachers, students and teaching sites.

The split 2+2 BS program in Chinese is hosted by Sichuan Normal University and University
of Karachi. Program students shall study two years in University of Karachi to complete the
required courses and qualified students will be granted scholarship to study in Sichuan Normal
University in the remaining two years. Students who meet the graduation requirements shall be awarded joint BS degree by both universities.