China confirms ambassador was not in hotel during blast

ISLAMABAD: The Chinese embassy in Pakistan on Thursday clarified its ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong, was not in the hotel when it was targeted by a suicide bomber a day earlier. Five people were killed and 11 were injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself in the parking area of a hotel located at Serena Chowk on Wednesday night.

China's ambassador to Pakistan was in Quetta leading a visit to the delegation the same day. However, China clarified he was not in the hotel. "When the attack occurred, the Chinese delegation was not in the hotel. Till present, no reports of casualties of Chinese citizens in the attack have been received," read a statement from the Chinese embassy in Pakistan.

China strongly condemned the terrorist attack, offering condolences over the loss of lives in the bomb blast. Earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had also clarified during a news conference that the Chinese ambassador was not in the hotel at the time of the blast.

The minister confirmed the blast that took place in the parking of a hotel was a suicide bomb attack. Rasheed pointed towards India's activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, saying that during the past eight to 10 days, an estimated 250,000-300,000 social media accounts were created in India. He said these were efforts to destabilise Pakistan from within "by foreign elements"."These foreign forces cannot see Pakistan prosper and progress," the minister had said.

Rasheed had said the Ministry of Interior had placed all 22 law enforcement institutions under its jurisdiction, which include the FC, Rangers, Coastal Guards and others to remain on "high alert".Updating the masses about the casualties and the wounded in the blast, Rasheed said out of the 11 who were injured, six had left the hospital after getting treated for their wounds. "The rest are in hospital, out of which only two to three are in a critical state," he said.