Pakistan sets up JIT to inquire into suicide bombing near Karachi

In response to the suicide attack on a Chinese convoy near Karachi Airport in October, which resulted in the deaths of two Chinese engineers and one Pakistani national, the authorities in Pakistan’s Sindh province have established a Joint Investigative Team (JIT) to examine the suspects involved. After the assault, for which the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility, law enforcement apprehended two principal suspects during an operation based on intelligence gathered earlier this month. The investigation is ongoing with the involvement of the JIT, which will conduct a comprehensive enquiry, with officials from several agencies, including the Department for Combating Terrorism (CTD) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), participating. The team has to investigate the incident and produce a report within 15 days. The Pakistani government is facing a major challenge to strengthen its counter-terrorism measures to ensure the protection of its citizens as well as foreign nationals working on vital national infrastructure projects, according to media reports.