The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a prime target for Baloch separatists and jihadist groups, with attacks escalating since 2021 and culminating in high-profile incidents like the March 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking. These attacks reflect deeper regional and geopolitical tensions, as CPEC’s trajectory is increasingly entangled with conflicts involving Iran, India, and the marginalization of Baloch communities.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the People’s Republic of China’s “One Belt One Road (OBOR)” Initiative, aims to connect Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Pakistan’s Gwadar port. This would provide a shortcut for China’s oil imports from the Persian Gulf, in addition to numerous economic benefits for Pakistan. However, the project faces persistent threats from Baloch separatist and Islamist militant groups, with attacks targeting Chinese nationals and infrastructure escalating since 2021.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has intensified its campaign against the CPEC, exemplified by Operation Dara-e-Bolan in Mach, Balochistan, on January 29, 2024, along with a series of coordinated attacks in March 2025. The March attacks included the high-profile hijacking of the Jaffar Express train on March 11, which killed 59 people and took hundreds hostage (see Terrorism Monitor, May 6, 2024). While Pakistani officials claim BLA attacks aim to sabotage Pakistan’s close alliance with China, the targeted killings of Chinese nationals highlight the CPEC’s significant security vulnerabilities (Dawn, June 10, 2024).
For example, Baloch militants killed nine Chinese workers at the Dasu Hydropower Project on July 14, 2021 (The Hindu, July 31, 2023). The signing of six new pacts in 2023 to inaugurate CPEC’s second phase further motivated Baloch separatists, leading to attacks on Chinese workers since 2024. These included yet another attack at the Dasu Dam. These attacks cast doubt on the effectiveness of security measures protecting CPEC projects and Chinese personnel, as well as the project’s future viability.
No comments:
Post a Comment