After 4 people were killed in a blast near the Confuscious Institute in Karachi University in Pakistan on Tuesday (April 26), it has come to light that the suicide bombing attack was executed by a 30-year-old woman named Shari Baloch.
A video of the incident has now surfaced on social media, wherein a hijab-clad Shari can be seen patiently waiting for the van, carrying Chinese nationals, and then pressing the trigger for the blast.
While such attacks are not uncommon in Pakistan, the Karachi varsity blast drew the attention of the public for two main reasons: The victims were Chinese nationals and the attacker was a woman.
Shari Baloch, also known by her alias Baramsh, had a strong academic and family background. According to journalist Gaurav Sawant, Shari was associated with the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The special wing of BLA was designed to attack Chinese nationals living in Pakistan.
The BLA rebel had a Master’s degree in Zoology from the University of Balochistan and a Mphil degree from the Allama Iqbal Open University. Shari, a resident of Niazar Abad in Balochistan’s Turbat, was the mother of two children and a primary school teacher.
Shari’s husband, Habitan Bashir Baloch, is a doctor (dentist) by profession. In a tweet, he had expressed pride in the actions of his deceased wife.
“Shari Jan, your selfless act has left me speechless but I am also beaming with pride today. Mahroch and Meer Hassan will grow into very proud humans thinking what a great woman their mother was. You will continue to remain an important part of our lives,” he wrote.
Reportedly, Shari Baloch joined the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army about 2 years. She was aware of the forcible occupation of Balochistan by the State of Pakistan and the genocide perpetrated against the Balochis.
This perhaps explains why she refused to opt out of BLA, despite being offered the option to quit by the rebels. “Baloch Liberation Army’s Majeed Brigade targeted Chinese officials in an attack on Tuesday in Karachi. Three Chinese officials Huang Guiping, Ding Mufang, and Chen Sai were killed in the attack, whereas, Wang Yuqing and their security guards were injured,” the rebel group said in a statement.
BLA informed that Shari Baloch confirmed her decision to undertake a ‘self-sacrificing attack’ about 6 months and stood by it. As per the spokesperson of the rebel group, the suicide bombing attack was executed to send a clear message to China that its presence in the province of Balochistan would not be tolerated.
It has come to light that Shari Baloch had posted a ‘goodbye message’ prior to carrying out the suicide bombing attack. In another tweet, she had quoted Mahatma Gandhi and said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Shari Baloch’s uncle is a human rights campaigner and an author. Her father served as a member of the district council for a span of 3 years and the director of a Pakistani government agency. Her brother-in-law works as a lecturer.
According to The Express Tribune report, the deceased was a member of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO-Azad) during her student life. Her 5th cousin was killed in 2018 during a Pakistani military operation.