During a one-day visit to Gwadar on Thursday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation and development projects following a major attack by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in the coastal city.
The meeting was attended by National Assembly member Malik Shah Gorgaj, Provincial Assembly member Maulana Hidayat ur Rahman, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, and Inspector General of Police Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, among others. Discussions focused on the progress of the Gwadar Safe City project and the current security situation.
Chief Minister Bugti emphasized the critical role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects for the development of both Pakistan and Balochistan. He highlighted Gwadar’s development as vital to the prosperity of the region and stressed the need for stringent security measures to protect Chinese engineers and workers involved in CPEC projects.
He called for foolproof security arrangements and insisted on strict adherence to security protocols, along with the continuous refinement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the highest level of security.
This visit by the CM of Balochistan follows a recent major attack on the Gwadar Port Authority Complex by the BLA’s Majeed Brigade as part of ‘Operation ZirPahazag’ or ‘Protecting the Sea.’
‘Operation ZirPahazag’ according to the BLA, is an armed effort to defend the coasts of Balochistan and resist the Pakistani state’s presence, which they view as an occupation. The BLA also aims to expel entities that are exploiting the region’s resources.
The BLA said that the attack was executed by eight members of the Majeed Brigade against Pakistani intelligence agencies, ISI and MI, claiming these fighters—’fidayeen’—set a new, unparalleled standard of bravery with their sacrifice, becoming etched in the Baloch nation’s memory.
The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 25 personnel from the Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies, including 6 MI officials (among them two commissioned officers), 8 ISI officials, and 14 members of the Pakistani army and navy.
To protect Chinese nationals and interests, the Pakistani government has deployed various security forces, including a dedicated division led by a Major General of the Pakistani army. However, recent attacks on Chinese interests have raised concerns about the effectiveness of these security arrangements.
Abdul Basit, a researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, remarked, “Every attack is a failure of security.” Former Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, an expert on Pakistan’s security and foreign affairs, described the recent attacks as “significant security failures.” He expressed concerns to the BBC about the diminishing confidence of the Chinese government in Pakistan’s ability to safeguard its citizens, noting, “With every such attack, the Chinese government’s confidence in Pakistan’s security measures is eroding.”