“Pakistan boosts security of Chinese workers amid growing terrorism” 26 July 2024

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, popularly known as CPEC, however, has suffered as Islamist militants and Baloch insurgents fighting the Pakistani state target Chinese nationals and projects...

In June, Pakistan also announced a new nationwide anti-terrorism campaign......A dedicated military division and special provincial police units provide security to Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan. Local intelligence units keep a record of where the foreigners live and work. Chinese nationals usually move between cities in bullet-proof vehicles with a police escort...Large-scale projects are often cut off from nearby towns to limit public access, while locals hired to work at sites secured with barbed wires and cameras must clear police background checks...

Pakistani officials reject reports that China has sought to deploy its own security personnel in Pakistan...

Heightened security for Chinese workers is also a source of resentment among locals in parts of Pakistan. In Gwadar, where the Pakistani military controls security, impoverished locals have staged mass protests in recent years, complaining of a lack of involvement in Chinese-funded development projects, and of loss of livelihood and limited mobility...

The new nationwide anti-terror offensive named Azm-e-Istehkam faces intense opposition in the militancy-hit northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where residents have experienced mass displacement and destruction of infrastructure in past military operations. Security affairs expert Rashid says Pakistan cannot ensure the security of Chinese workers without providing basic facilities to its own citizens first...