Mounting Threat to Chinese Interests in Pakistan

Assistance from China, which has been referred to as the “time tested and all weather friend” by Pakistan, is crucial for this South Asian Islamic country to sustain and take forward its military preparedness, business and commercial initiative ,economic and infrastructure development as well as diplomatic drive. The substantial Chinese investment in Pakistan’s infrastructural growth including the deep water port of Gwadar on the Makrana coast points out to the potentials that Pakistan offers for advancing Chinese geo strategic and economic interests at one go. But then like all the good stories coming to an end, the saga of Pakistan and Chinese bonhomie seems set for a troubled and turbulent future. For in the context of the rapidly spreading parochial sentiments, heightened insecurity environment created by Islamic radical groups active in Pakistan along with the violent movement for a separate homeland for Uighur Muslims in China’s restive north western Xinjiang province showing a strong ”Pakistani connection,” Chinese interests in Pakistan are coming under a spell of increasing threat.

Against this, backdrop, there is a growing apprehension and disquiet in the “failed state” of Pakistan over the emerging scenario of Taliban and al Qaeda militants along with the Uighur radicals belonging to the separatist and banned East Turkestan Islamic Movement(ETIM) based in Xinjiang hitting Chinese interests in Pakistan over ideological grounds as well as Sindhi nationalists in Sindh and Baloch freedom fighters in Balochistan targeting Chinese personnel and projects to prevent what they perceive as a “drive towards colonization”. On another front, the Gilgit and Baltistan area of the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(POK) continues to witness a surge in anti Chinese sentiments with the result that Chinese experts working on various projects here are provided security by Chinese troops stationed in the region.

To begin with, the anger against the “persecution and torture” of ethnic Uighurs in Xinjinag fighting for an independent Islamic homeland in China at the hands of Chinese security agencies have spurred many of the radical Islamic groups including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) and al Qaeda, which are well entrenched in the tribal belts of Pakistan, to step up their attacks on Chinese interests in Pakistan .As it is Chinese officials believe that Uighur cadres of ETIM receive combat training and support from militant camps in Pakistan’s tribal areas adjoining Afghanistan. In fact, China has urged Pakistan to prevent Uighur militants from using Pakistani soil for training geared to engineer violent acts in Xinjiang and other parts of China. Indeed, Chinese allegation of the Pakistani connection of ETIM is not without substance. For many Uighurs in the tribal belt of Pakistan have been killed in CIA sponsored drone attacks as well as the clean up campaigns launched by the Pakistani defence forces. Similarly, many Uighur separatists fighting along side the Taliban militia in the neighbouring Afghanistan have either been killed or captured by US led defence forces.

For quite sometime now, Pakistani intelligence set up has been fully well aware of the move by extremist Islamic outfits to kidnap and kill Chinese nationals and also strike at Chinese interests. In particular, there is a concern that extremists could target Chinese experts working for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission’s project at Chashma in Punjab province. Meanwhile, a powerful Uzbek speaking militant leader ,Mufti Abu Zar-al-Burmi based in the restive tribal belt of Pakistan, has issued a video message in which he says, “The pull out of US forces from Afghanistan is a victory for the Taliban movement in the region and our next target will be China”. Going ahead, this influential Uzbek extremist has urged all the Pakistani based Taliban groups to join hand to mount attack on Chinese diplomatic establishments and companies in Pakistan. He has also called for kidnapping and killing of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on behalf of Chinese companies. Chinese companies have invested heavily in many projects in Pakistan including nuclear power plants and telecommunications modernization.

Not surprisingly then the perception in Islamabad is that Turkick speaking Uighur radicals in Pakistan who are hands in gloves with TTP and other local and foreign militants could pose a serious and direct security challenge to Chinese projects in Pakistan. In a recent interview given to the global news agency Reuters from his hideout in Pakistan, Uighur leader Abdullah Mansour had made it clear that attacks on Chinese interests in Pakistan will be definitely stepped up. According to one estimate, there are around 400 Uighur militants roaming freely in North Waziristan area of Pakistan, sharing kinship and sanctuary with other foreign militants especially Uzbek Islamic radicals attached to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

As it is ,Islamic militant groups in Pakistan have made their opposition to Chinese interests in Pakistan vocal and clear. Two Chinese experts associated with a dam project in the militant infested South Waziristan were abducted by the radicals owing allegiance to Abdullah Mehsud in 2004 and one of them was subsequently killed . Thereafter, three Chinese nationals were killed in Peshawar and another was injured. Significantly, during the May 2011 daring raid on the high security PNS Mehran naval air base on the outskirts of Karachi by the terrorists belonging to TTP, attackers were looking for Chinese nationals working there. As if these incidents were not enough, a Chinese woman was done to death by Islamic militants in Pakistan apparently to avenge atrocities to which Uighurs in Xinjiang are being subjected to by Chinese authorities.

In the politically turbulent Sindh, where locals are very much perturbed over the growing clout of the migrant Urdu speaking Mohajirs and settlers from the neighbouring province of Punjab, there is a growing opposition to the projects involving Chinese investment. In particular, the much publicised plan to rope in large scale Chinese investment for the proposed Zulfiqaradbad city in the Thatta district of Sindh has elicited sever opposition from Sindhi nationalist groups. Of course,the provincial Sindh Government describes this a as futuristic urban hub endowed with immense potentials to transform the area into a veritable economic powerhouse generating jobs and revenue . But then Sindhi nationalists believe that this grandiose project planned in the memory of former Pakistani Prime Minister Z.A.Bhutto is nothing but a well thought out conspiracy to colonize Sindh and reduce Sindhis into minority in their homeland. This project has rightly been described as an investment for the colonisation of Sindh.

As it is, in 2012, the Sindh nationalist outfit Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz(JSQM) had launched a vigorous campaign to boycott Chinese products and goods. Way back in 2011, one of China’s leading coal mining firm ,Kinghao Group quietly called it quits , pointing out to the security concerns over a US$19-mliion project to extract coal and establish energy and chemical plants in the sprawling arid stretch of Tharparkar adjoining India’s Rajasthan state. Meanwhile, the possibility of the banned outfit Sindhu Liberation Army(SDLA), whose avowed objective is the creation of an independent homeland for Sindhis, stepping up its attacks on the Chinese interests in the province is very much on the cards. In the past SDLA had claimed responsibility for attacks on public utilities and government installations in Sindh.

In the sprawling, resources rich Balochsitan province, where the movement for the creation of a sovereign Baloch homeland is gaining in strength, attacks on Chinese interests and nationals are rather widespread. Baloch nationalists are clear in their perception that the Federal Government in Islamabad is trying to colonize Balochistan by bringing in Chinese investment and human resources from Punjab province. Baloch rebels say that Islamabad is keen on transforming the demographic profile of this largest Pakistani province through various mega projects being undertaken through the Chinese assistance. This feeling of alienation has been responsible for the growing attacks against Chinese experts in the province.

In May 2004, three Chinese experts working for the Gwadar deep sea port overlooking the Arabain sea coast were kidnapped and killed by Baloch extremists. In Feb.2006, a couple of Chinese engineers working at cement plant in Hub were done to death. This was followed by an attack on a convoy carrying Chinese workers at Khuzdar in July.2007. The insecurity complex caused by these incidents has forced China, which is now in administrative control of the port, not to commit on building a naval base there. For the abduction and killing of Chinese personnel working on various projects in the province by Baloch extremists has unnerved Chinese investors. Not surprisingly then many Chinese enterprises have closed their shops in Balochistan fearing reprisals from Baloch extremists. Clearly and apparently, Chinese enterprises are not willing to be at the receiving end of the savage Baloch separatist movement which is gathering momentum with each passing day. For long Balochs have been vehemently opposing the move of Islamabad to bring in Chinese expertise and investment to develop copper and gold mines in the province whose developmental index is much below the national average.

In the ultimate analysis, the prevailing insecurity and lawlessness compounded by the vengeful acts of Islamic fundamentalist outfits and separatist movements bent upon punishing “outsiders”, the Chinese companies are far from keen on investing in the quagmire that is Pakistan. For no commercial enterprise would like to operate under an environment of “diminishing returns”. Without creating stable and peaceful conditions and ensuring law and order, Pakistan will have problems attracting foreign investment.