The massive China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as the flagship project of the Chinese Communist Party’s “Belt and Road” initiative, has faced opposition from local residents since its inception. Especially in the impoverished Balochistan province in southwest Pakistan, discontent among the locals towards Chinese investments is growing.
One particular incident that has drawn significant attention is the large-scale protests by residents in Gwadar, the capital of Balochistan, where China has invested $50 billion in constructing the hub of the CPEC. The protests are against the unfair exploitation of natural resources by the Pakistani government with the support of China.
Observers point out that key projects under China’s Belt and Road initiative, including the Gwadar Port and the CPEC, are facing increasing security risks. Despite Pakistan’s repeated efforts to enhance security measures as requested by Chinese authorities, the situation seems to be deteriorating with a rise in unrest and violent incidents.
Balochistan province, with a population of 15 million out of Pakistan’s total population of 240 million, shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan and is the largest and most impoverished province in Pakistan, yet it possesses abundant natural resources.
Located in Balochistan, the deep-sea port of Gwadar serves as a direct gateway for Beijing into the Indian Ocean and has long been considered the core project of the CPEC initiated in 2015, which has been underway for over a decade.
Neighboring India opposes China’s massive investments and development plans in Pakistan. India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has previously stated that India strongly opposes the CPEC, emphasizing that the China-Pakistan Corridor should not undermine the territorial integrity or sovereignty of other countries.
Furthermore, China has also built Pakistan’s largest airport in Gwadar, with plans for it to begin operations this year.
Kiyya Baloch, a journalist and commentator who extensively covers Balochistan, expressed to Deutsche Welle that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) led Baloch movement opposes Chinese and Pakistani policies in Gwadar. She mentioned that the promise of transforming Gwadar into a city similar to Shenzhen, Hong Kong, or Dubai, after a decade of the CPEC’s launch, remains unfulfilled.
Tensions in Gwadar peaked last week when protesters led by the BYC clashed with security forces deployed to guard the port project in the southwest of Balochistan.
The Pakistani military condemned the “unprovoked attacks by violent crowds,” stating that these attacks led to the loss of one soldier’s life and the injuries of 16 others. However, protesters claimed that dozens of Baloch individuals were arrested by authorities, and mobile and internet services were disrupted for several days.
The BYC is an organization that advocates for the civic, political, and economic rights of the people in Balochistan and has local popular support.
On Thursday, Deutsche Welle cited Mahrang Baloch, a leader of the BYC, stating that they are organizing a “movement against Baloch genocide,” accusing Pakistani authorities of thousands of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. She mentioned that China (CCP) and other investing countries are exploiting local resources in Balochistan without bringing any benefits to the Baloch people and are directly involved in the Baloch genocide.
However, the Pakistani military labels the BYC as “agents” of terrorism and criminal groups.
Balochistan province has long been plagued by ethnic tensions, with the Baloch ethnic group complaining about human rights violations, exploitation of mineral resources, and the deepening divide between their community and the largest and wealthiest ethnic group in Pakistan, the Punjabis.
Baloch people are also concerned that China’s investment in Gwadar is for the purpose of exploiting the province’s natural resources.
According to data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) reported through news articles, as of August 11, there have been 248 terrorism-related incidents in Balochistan this year, with 281 incidents in 2023.
Similar to previous governments, Pakistani authorities are attempting to quell public protests through military means. Human rights organizations have strongly criticized the Pakistani authorities for their repression in the province, which includes severe violations by the military and its intelligence agencies.