The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan announced that China will provide high-quality equipment to Pakistan for the protection of its citizens while both countries agreed to provide bulletproof vehicles to the Chinese nationals for their safety performing outbound transportation. In this regard, both countries have reached the point of making the security measures for Chinese nationals stiff.
According to reports, Pakistan’s continued surety over the security of the Chinese nationals in Balochistan has failed multiple times which anger the Chinese authorities and impacted the relations between both countries. China has been asking for a military station in Pakistan to protect its citizens which was rejected by the authorities as it was about to worsen the situation in Balochistan.
The enhancement of the security of Chinese nationals in Balochistan and Pakistan comes after a suicide attack when a Baloch female namely Shari Baloch, a Mother of two and a school teacher, later joined the Fidayeen Squad (Self Sacrificing Squad) of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carried out a suicide attack on the Chinese teachers in the Karachi University on 26 April this year, which resulted in the killing of three Chinese nationals and a Pakistani driver.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office of Pakistan stated that the security concerns of the Chinese nationals in Pakistan are under discussion between both countries and Pakistan is trying its best to provide and protect the Chinese officials working in Balochistan and other parts of the country—particularly the workers of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is deliberately targeted by the Baloch armed groups and opposed by the “pro-independence” political parties of Balochistan.
The developments regarding the security measures of Chinese citizens in Pakistan come after the meeting of the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) where the security and continuous threats and attacks on Chinese workers in Pakistan were discussed between the officials of the two countries and the meeting agreed on the Chinese bullet-proof vehicles to be used for the Chinese citizens in their outdoor activities.
The Chinese leadership has expressed its willingness to provide equipment to increase the capacity of Pakistan’s security agencies. The capacity of the National Forensic Science Agency to investigate incidents involving Chinese citizens will also be developed on modern lines. A request was made to increase the capacity of the Science Agency. The Chinese government has also expressed its determination to establish a center for training private security guards and Pakistani Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).
After the attack on Chinese nationals by the First Female “Fidayeen” of BLA, Shari Baloch, Chinese authorities showed great concern, which led the officials to send a security team to Pakistan to assist in the inquiry into the attack. Chinese nationals continue to face threats and attacks from Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups, as they oppose Chinese investment, particularly the CPEC in Balochistan, and consider it a great threat to their national liberation movement. CPEC and related projects have been facing attacks by Baloch fighters for the past several years.
Whereas, during the last five years, Chinese engineers and workers working on CPEC and other projects have been targeted in five massive attacks. The said attacks were carried out by the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army.
Many analysts argue that China has been supporting Pakistan financially and politically over the use of force and occupation of Balochistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a recent visit to China, has once again assured the Chinese side that the Pakistani state will provide all the possible security to the Chinese citizens, working on different projects.