On October 6, a convoy of Chinese employees was attacked by terrorists near the Karachi airport. A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) was used for the attack which claimed the lives of two Chinese engineers. The Chinese engineers were part of the Chinese-funded enterprise, the Port Qasim Power Generation Company Limited. Pakistan-China bilateral ties, in the backdrop of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), are centered around economic cooperation and are reflective of the commonality of interests between the two Asian countries that, despite being poles apart in economic growth levels, China and Pakistan are optimistic about building a corridor. To operationalise the corridor, thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan.
The question is why foreign nationals are being targeted by terrorists. One answer could be that the terrorists do not want economic investment in Pakistan, their sole agenda is to weaken Pakistan economically and for that terrorism is being employed as a tool to shatter the foreign investors’ confidence. Here, it needs to be understood that the militant group playing upon the narrative that the foreign investment and development projects do not offer much benefit to the locals of the area, and their wealth is being exploited elsewhere. This narrative is used to provoke resentment and to justify their destructive approach. To progress, and to be at par with developed economies, there has to be industrial growth and for that, the local industries/markets need international exposure. The industrial linkage provides the local manufacturer with the opportunity to learn from the best practices of developed economies and also to make a place in the international market.
From these arguments, it can be inferred that the BLA, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Kulbhushan Yadav all are stems of the same tree. Their nefarious agenda revolves around CPEC
Another angle on why foreign nationals are being attacked could be the geopolitical dimension. The terrorists look at CPEC as China’s trans-regional growth in South Asia. The Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) failed attempt to infiltrate the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) complex and attacks on the Chinese Confucius Centre (Karachi University) and Gwadar Pearl Continental Hotel reveals their anti-CPEC agenda. From these arguments, it can be inferred that the BLA, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Kulbhushan Yadav all are stems of the same tree. Their nefarious agenda revolves around CPEC.
Now, why are CPEC-related projects being targeted? CPEC is a corridor to connect East, South, and Central Asia, and promote trade connectivity. How does the trade connectivity impact the regional environment? Trade cooperation, transportation linkages, and energy connectivity will open up prospects of human interaction, industrial growth, and technological exchange. These linkages will impact the socio-economic outlook of the regions as well as the regional countries. South Asia, being one of the least integrated regions, is likely to benefit the most. The economic integration in the region will open up prospects of industrial growth. With economic prosperity, regional countries might step up efforts to address the challenges of poverty and energy security. These developments on the regional front will also impact the bilateral ties, the conflictual regional approaches if not eliminated might be balanced out by economic interdependence.
Another dimension of economic connectivity is the balance of power equation in South Asia and its surrounding regions. The Kashgar-Gwadar link will accrue economic benefits. China’s economic influence in the region will also expand. Gwadar seaport will provide the Central Asian states with the most feasible route to the Arabian Sea. From Pakistan’s perspective, Gwadar seaport’s operation will greatly stimulate economic growth for the country and the province of Balochistan will experience prosperity. Thus, trade linkages and economic cooperation are central to progress. In this backdrop, to make South Asia prosperous, the hostile regional approaches need to be replaced with economic cooperation. The regional countries need to focus more towards economic empowerment and for that, the foreign policy should revolve around geo-economics. The perception that the seaports – Gwadar, Hambantota, Chittagong, and Kyaukphyu will expand China’s influence in the region needs to end.
On account of the security environment and terrorism, stability in Afghanistan is equally significant for the smooth operation of CPEC. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) - which recently concluded a summit in Islamabad - has representation from China, Russia, Central and South Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Belarus and it can become a platform for greater integration and regional peace.