Having a special agenda to tarnish Pakistan, Pak-Sino friendship and, of course, the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Western media and lobby are once again geared up with a new series of propagating articles and conspiracy theories. The latest edition is Germany’s Deutsche Welle article titled “How Chinese Loans Trapped Pakistan’s Economy,” written by Haroon Janjua and published on August 2, 2024. This article seems to purposefully twist the facts and try to establish CPEC as the mother of all debts, inflicting damage on Pakistan’s economy and repayment capacity. However, reports from the SBP, Finance Ministry, Planning Commission and SECP all contradict this view. The timing of this false propaganda is significant. An interview-based article appears to sabotage these negotiations through a sponsored agenda, leveraging borrowed wisdom from national pseudo-intellectuals and so-called experts. These Western-aligned egomaniacs have dubbed CPEC as a debt trap for Pakistan, which is totally untrue and based on fallacies rather than facts.

Objectively, Pakistan’s prevailing debt crisis can be attributed to various external factors, including the ongoing Ukraine conflict, the United States Federal Reserve’s high interest rates, fears of a severe economic recession in the US, the US-China trade war, US unilateral sanctions and the Middle East crisis, US support of Israel for its inhuman atrocities in Palestine. These factors have already exacerbated Pakistan’s economic problems. Pakistan’s external borrowing is necessary to bridge the trade deficit, import essential goods and fund significant infrastructure projects.

Unfortunately, Western propaganda has somehow found new pseudo intellectuals, dummy economists and fake journalists in the country who are questioning about the CPEC’s development prospects and linking it with “Doomsday Argument” which must be rooted out as soon as possible. Attack in Quetta which killed at least 24 people, including a woman, and over 40 injured in a powerful explosion at booking office of the city’s railways station on Saturday morning. Rampant clandestine activities of the Indian RAW and other regional secret agencies’ sponsorship to TTP, BLA and MB in Balochistan and the KP have become a bitter reality which must be eradicated as soon as possible to attract more and more inflows of the FDIs in the country. Quetta Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat has confirmed that it was suicide blast, adding that Baloch Liberation Army BLA conducted the attack with support of Indian RAW and other secret agencies sponsorship for the attack. Additionally, the security situation is getting from bad to worse in Balochistan and the KP provinces spoiling prospects of socio-economic prosperity and economic stability and sustainability signaling strange messages to the Chinese government and the private companies to invest in the country.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that we have to“treat terrorists as terrorists” and appreciate that the state was working to counter their threat. Addressing a joint press conference with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Quetta, the chief minister took aim at human rights activists including Baloch Yakjehti Committee asking why they remained silent on the attack.“Where are they?” Bugti asked. “They should demand that the government do something about this.“These people turn the Baloch youth into suicide bombers and pursue politics this way, “Terrorists have no nation, this is a battle for all aspects of society — the media, the judiciary, the politicians.”The Pakistani side has strong evidence of the involvement of Afghan Taliban and Indian RAW agency in providing and supporting various terrorist factions of the TTP, TTA, BLA and MB to attack within the territories of Pakistan mainly in KP and Balochistan. The sponsored alliance of the TTP, BLA, MB, Islamic State Khorasan, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and the Baloch Revolutionary Army by India has been emerging. The concrete evidence of the RAW being the mastermind behind these terrorist operations, seeking to destabilize Pakistan by merging the TTP and BLA and establishing terror havens within the country mainly in KP, Balochistan, Southern Punjab etc. In summary, the Pakistani side should also emphasize on the strategic importance of the ongoing Azm-e-Istehkam eradicating terrorism and terrorist groups from the country.

BLA Majeed brigade and the emergence of the Zainabiyoun Brigade, a Shia militia composed of Pakistani volunteers is another potential security threat. It has been involved in the recent clashes in Kurram. The Brigade has been active in the region due to its affiliation with Iran and its support for the Shia community.

According to many prominent international economists, safety, security and systematic persuasion are the three main attributes of implementing long-term policies of socio-economic development and seeking more and more inflows of foreign investment. Unfortunately, we are lagging far away from these recipes of progress, prosperity and peaceful living in the country and frequent violent acts and terrorist attacks are pushing us now towards a close ally. It seems that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has become hostage of violence and terrorism in the country. The recent surge in terrorist incidents in the KP, Balochistan and Southern Punjab all indicate formation of new fighting clubs, eroding prospects of socio-economic prosperity and especially the Chinese investment.

In summary, somehow ongoing sanitisation operations including the Operation Azm-e-Istehkam against the instigators, perpetrators, facilitators, and abettors of these heinous and cowardly acts, targeting innocent civilians have restored the civilian government writ but collateral damage is huge and soft image has now been further marginalized resulting further delays in the ongoing mega projects of the CPEC in the province. Funds for operation Azm-e-Istehkam has been allocated, therefore, a full-fledged counter insurgent operation is the need of hour to eliminate BLA, MB, TTP and ISIS-K from the country. The military establishment and government should not bow before the whims & wishes of the greedy opposition searching a new deal on this.

Terrorism has become the biggest hurdle in immense social development, economic stability and sustainability which is constantly corroding our collective survival and even essential attributes, mainly safety, security and functionality of the system is also at stake. The policy makers of China should also realize that ongoing terrorism in the country has certain regional connections and international patrons because of its just stance against the imperialist forces in Asia Pacific, South China Sea, Taiwan and ongoing trade war has also spillover repercussions. Therefore a joint and comprehensive hybrid security mechanism is the need of the hour.  Hopefully the current visit of General Li Qiaoming, Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces would make better understanding among different stakeholders to act swiftly against terrorists.

With the completion of the first decade of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its flagship project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), there has been a significant surge in terrorism within Pakistan. This surge underscores emerging socio-economic, geopolitical, and geostrategic tensions in the region and beyond.

The recent surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan has prompted urgent discussions on enhancing security measures to safeguard Chinese workers and CPEC projects. The emergence of a Shadow Province in Balochistan, attributed to groups like TTP, BLA, and MB, poses a significant threat. Additionally, Al-Qaeda infiltration in Gilgit Baltistan and the reactivation of Sleeper Cells in urban areas highlight serious security concerns for policymakers and security agencies. These developments jeopardize both national security and the socio-economic stability generated by CPEC initiatives.

The surge in terrorism targeting Chinese workers and CPEC projects highlights significant challenges for the BRI, including threats from various terrorist organizations like ISIS-K, BLA,  TTP, TTA, and MB. This global phenomenon extends beyond Pakistan, impacting regions across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central Asia, threatening national security and sovereignty. Moreover, ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has also spillover ramifications which force inhabitants of tiny countries like Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and heavyweights Bangladesh and India to engage in it. Thus China’s Maritime Silk Road (MSR) and the development of the Digital Silk Road (DSR) are in real danger. Additionally, the BRI’s westward and southward expansion is being slowed down because of the limited governmental capacity, corruption and weak institutions creating a set of risks and difficult policy dilemmas for Beijing.

CPEC, a key BRI initiative, establishes a vital transportation corridor linking the Indian Ocean to Western China. However, it grapples with stability challenges such as Baloch insurgents and religious extremist groups targeting Chinese assets. Anti-China nations fund and incite terrorism against CPEC. Locally, some groups accuse Pakistan of monopolizing CPEC’s benefits. Surprisingly, even the Deobandi sect in KP and Southern Punjab views CPEC as contradictory to its beliefs, reflecting diverse perspectives and tensions surrounding the project. The indecisiveness of the former government of the PTI about countering the surge and regrouping of terrorism and terrorist activities in North & South Waziristan and advocacy of a strange idea of resettlement of the TTP factions in the country have blown our national narrative against terrorism. Resultantly, China and its CPEC projects as strategic partners and projects suffered badly.

Perpetual weak capacity building mechanism of the police of Sindh, KP and Balochistan remained one of the key factors providing foolproof security to Chinese and the CPEC projects. Their political vulnerabilities and administrative inefficiencies and pours vicissitudes of geography promoted incidents of infiltration at will in these provinces from the soil of Afghanistan. PM Shehbaz Sharif’s assurance to China revived energy projects post-Dasu dam incident, affirming continued Chinese engagement in Pakistan. CPEC’s impact includes creating over 350,000 local jobs, constructing 1,400+ kilometers of roads, and adding 8,500 megawatts to the grid, ending power shortages. It has drawn over $25 billion in Chinese investment, projected to reach $62 billion by 2030, encompassing industrial zones, highlighting its substantial economic contribution and future potential.

Dr. Mehmood ul Hassan Khan

EGF Affiliated Expert for integrated Eurasian politics – South and Central Asia and the South Caucasus. he is President, Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, Executive Director, CSAIS, regional expert: China, CPEC & BRI. Author at Pakobserver and senior journalist.