Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned a spate of terrorist attacks in Balochistan by declaring they aimed to stop development projects that form part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The attacks spanned two days and left 70 people dead and were claimed by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Terrorism in Balochistan is especially concerning to China due to its heavy investment in the Gwadar Port, with fears over the safety of its nationals mounting as separatists repeatedly target them.
Yet Balochistan is not the only province where Chinese nationals are threatened. Earlier this year, five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were killed in a terrorist attack near Besham in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, triggering the usual round of condemnations and vows to eradiate terrorism from the country. Islamabad has also assured Beijing that the life and safety of its citizens in Pakistan is of paramount importance. At the time, China urged Pakistan to thoroughly investigate all such attacks, severely punish perpetrators, and “take all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan.”
Unfortunately, the pattern of militants targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan appears to be gathering momentum rather than diminishing, raising concerns within Pakistan’s security establishment of the incidents comprising a “larger plan” to hurt the country’s economic interests and dent bilateral ties between the neighboring nations. China is one of Pakistan’s closest allies and has invested nearly $65 billion in the country, most of it CPEC project. For an economy in doldrums like Pakistan, which has struggled to attract foreign direct investment in recent years, the importance of this sum cannot be overstated. Availing its benefits, however, requires dedicated and sustained efforts aimed at terror eradication; anything less risks repercussions Islamabad cannot afford.