A powerful explosion outside Karachi airport on Sunday night killed two Chinese nationals, as the Pakistani government prepares for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad in a week’s time, which will be attended by leaders from several countries in the region.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its militant affiliate Liwa Majeed claimed responsibility for the attack, which shocked the Pakistani government and society at large and put security forces across the country on high alert.

Conflicting accounts
In an official statement, the Pakistani government vowed not to let the overnight terrorist attack near Karachi airport that killed two Chinese nationals go ‘unpunished’.