Pakistan to make every effort to fight terrorism, says National Assembly speaker

ISLAMABAD, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan will make every effort to fight terrorism and bring the perpetrators of Tuesday's terrorist attack which killed three Chinese teachers to justice, Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said here on Sunday.

He made the remarks during a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, when he expressed condolences to the Chinese side over the loss of lives in the attack, saying that the National Assembly strongly condemns it.

On Tuesday, an explosion ripped through a shuttle passenger van of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi, leaving three Chinese teachers dead, one Chinese teacher injured and causing several Pakistani casualties.

Pakistan will spare no effort to arrest the perpetrators of this terrorist attack and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country, he said, adding that Chinese friends from afar have made important contributions to Pakistan-China friendship, and are very respected guests of the Pakistani people.

He stressed Pakistan does not allow such incidents to damage the Pakistan-China friendship, which is a model of state-to-state relations.

Pang Chunxue, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, thanked Ashraf for his visit, noting that China strongly condemns the terrorist attack and has asked the Pakistani side to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

China will work with Pakistan to combat terrorism and further promote bilateral ties, she added.