Another terror attack rocked Pakistan on Sunday night, killing two Chinese nationals who were working at the Port Qasim Electric Power Company a coal-powered power plant that's a joint China-Pakistan venture. An IED tore through the convey around 11 p.m. killing them and other Pakistani nationals.
The attack that came a week before Pakistan is to host a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has cast doubt about the security threats prevalent in the conflict-ridden country.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took responsibility for the attack and the militant group's spokesman Junaid Baloch said on Monday that one of their suicide bombers targeted the convoy of Chinese engineers and investors as they left the airport. BLA, a separatist group based in the restive southwestern Balochistan province, has been seeking independence for Balochistan, the province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was shocked and saddened by the attack and called the attackers enemies of Pakistan. "I strongly condemn this heinous act and offer my heartfelt condolences to the Chinese leadership & the people of China, particularly the families of the victims," he wrote on the social media platform X.
He vowed to safeguard Chinese workers, stating that the country will leave no stone unturned to ensure their security and well-being.
However, it is a matter of worry for Pakistan that Chinese workers continue to be targets of Balochi separatists. In March, in northwestern Pakistan, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers who were working for the country's biggest hydropower project. In 2022, three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver were killed when an explosion ripped through their van at the University of Karachi campus.
Off late, the Balochi militants have specifically been targeting Chinese interests and have warned against any Chinese working in Balochistan as they accuse China of aiding Islamabad in exploiting the mineral-rich province.
Thousands of Chinese workers are employed in Gwadar and nearby areas for Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects.
Experts believe the Chinese have become a useful tool for the BLA in their fight against the Pakistani government.
Lin Minwang, deputy director of Fudan University’s Centre for South Asian Studies, told the South China Morning Post that China has been caught in the conflict between Islamabad and the separatist militants. "China maintains a strict non-intervention policy, the violence against Chinese interests is not likely to be resolved as Pakistan does not have the capacity to eradicate the terrorist groups," Lin added.
He added that the attacks have increased ever since the CPEC was established and the China factor "grew increasingly important in Pakistan’s internal politics".
Regional experts believe the separatists have their reasons, both ideological and tactical, to target the Chinese. The attacks on the Chinese also serve as a wedge between Pakistan and China, which is Pakistan's biggest backer, according to the Observer Research Foundation.
The local people of Balochistan also see the Chinese as the new colonists due to the way the entire development of Gwadar Port has been handled. They believe Beijing and Islamabad are exploiting the resources of the Baloch without any real benefits flowing to the local communities. This anger is compounded by the fact that the local people need permits to move around and have to pass through the security check posts dotting the entire area.
