Daily Times

Militants have chosen to target Chinese workers once again, this time in Sindh. A blast in Bin-Qasim struck just seconds after their convoy passed through the main National Highway. Local officials confirmed that the foreign engineers were the intended targets.

This is bad news for the long-term economic security of the country. Incidents of violence against Chinese workers on contract for CPEC projects continue to take place — yet the government has still to come up with any kind of effective plan of action.

CPEC’s success will be determined by investor confidence. If these attacks carry on, the very project that the Islamabad insists will revolutionise the country’s industrial sector risk being severely impacted. Since India is not too happy with all the financial injections that CPEC is bringing Pakistan’s way — it may well use the attacks on foreign workers as an excuse to bash this country at international forums. And the government will have helped them along.

We welcome Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s directive that would see jammers installed in the vehicles used by Chinese contingents. But that is surely not enough. A security plan for all foreign nationals working on CPEC-related projects needs to be formed on a priority basis.

Sindhi separatist group Sindhudesh Liberation Army (also known as the Sindh Liberation Army) claimed responsibility for the Bin-Qasim attack. The group’s one-point agenda is to establish the independent state of Sindhu Desh. Pakistan routinely accuses it of receiving Indian funding. While this may or may not be the case — our state apparatus must take note. Meaning that it must at least be willing to hear the concerns of those who call for separation from the Centre.

In the immediate short-term, however, Islamabad must recognise that such grievances are founded in fears of ‘double’ colonisation: first by the Centre and then by a foreign power. It can no longer afford to put its head in the sand. Especially given that militant strikes on foreigners are no more the exclusive domain of Islamist extremist groups such as ISIS. The latter, of course, claimed responsibility of the recent abduction and killing of three Chinese citizens in Balochistan. Yet with separatist groups seemingly getting in on the act — the possibility of an alliance between the two in Balochistan and Sindh cannot be ruled out.*

Published in Daily Times, July 13^th , 2017.