New Delhi: Pakistan’s port city Karachi was rocked by a deadly explosion on Sunday night that killed three people, including two Chinese nationals, and injured multiple people. The impact of the explosion was so powerful that it could be heard as far as one town away.
While the attack has been deemed as a terrorist strike, the nature of the blast remains unclear. Some officials say that it could have been an IED, and some say it was an explosion triggered after a vehicle collided with an oil tanker.
Three people, including two Chinese nationals, were killed in the explosion near the Karachi International Airport. According to the latest reports, the Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The blast took place amidst the home season of the Pakistan cricket team, which is hosting England for a three-match Test series.
It’s been only five years since cricket returned to Pakistan. For 10 years, Pakistan was banned from hosting international matches in Pakistan after the terror attack on the touring Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore in March 2009.
England’s cricket team is touring Pakistan for the second time in two years and must be feeling edgy and anxious after hearing the news of the Karachi blast.
The first Test, which began on Monday, October 7 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, kicked off the series. The second Test will be played at the same venue from October 15 before both teams travel to Rawalpindi for the final match starting October 24.
A blessing in disguise for England
The second Test was originally slated to be held at the National Stadium in Karachi but was shifted to Multan due to the renovation work in progress at the Karachi stadium for the Champions Trophy scheduled to take place next year. The venue change comes as a blessing in disguise for the Englishmen who would be relieved to know that the match is not happening in Karachi.
If the shift in venue hadn’t taken place, all hell would have broken loose in both Pakistan and English camps as none of the teams would have agreed to play in a city that has recently come under a terrorist attack.
If that had been the case, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would have been facing immense pressure to save the series and the cricketing future in the country
The second cricket Test between England and Pakistan was originally slated to be held in Karachi but was shifted to Multan due to the renovation work in progress. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
