The Chinese government has expressed concerns about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), making increased investment and the completion of CPEC Phase Two projects conditional on addressing security issues in Balochistan. To mitigate these concerns, Operation Azm-e-Istehkam has been announced in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by Pakistani state.
In January 2017, nine battalions of Pakistan Army and six civilian wings were combined to form a special security division of 14,000 personnel dedicated to protecting Chinese workers on CPEC economic and infrastructure projects. Despite these measures, many Chinese citizens have been killed and injured in attacks on CPEC projects in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Balochistan has been in a state of conflict for more than two decades. Pakistan has attempted to quell the Baloch insurgency through military operations and coercion at various times. However, even after thousands of deaths and enforced disappearances, the independence movement persists and its intensity is only increasing.
If economic projects in Balochistan could be completed through military operations and force, the constant attacks on Chinese engineers would not occur despite the deployment of 14,000 personnel. The root causes of the security and law and order problems are political and economic. Law and order cannot be restored unless the local people and real stakeholders are taken into confidence.