The inauguration of a Chinese-funded airport in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been postponed due to security concerns, following a series of deadly attacks by separatist militants last week. The airport, a key component of the $65 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was initially scheduled to be opened on August 14th with a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese officials. However, this plan was abandoned after an ethnic Baloch rights group staged a protest and the recent attacks further intensified security anxieties.
More than 70 people were killed in the coordinated attacks across Balochistan, a region rich in resources where militants seeking secession have been targeting government forces and infrastructure projects associated with CPEC. This program, part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, also involves the development of a deep-water port near the new $200 million airport in Gwadar, a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman, and China. The Gwadar airport, nearing completion, is set to handle both domestic and international flights and will be one of the largest in Pakistan.
Following the attacks, the deadliest in years, officials from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Balochistan provincial government confirmed that the airport’s opening would be delayed while authorities conduct a thorough security review. One senior provincial government official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, stated, “The Chinese already had concerns about the security situation, and the recent attacks will definitely cause more delay.”
When questioned about the delay and security concerns, China’s Foreign Ministry assured, “China is willing to work with the Pakistani side to continue to do a good job in the relevant security work and ensure the safe and smooth progress of the corridor construction.” However, a provincial government spokesperson declined to comment, and Pakistan’s information minister did not respond to a request for comment.
While no Chinese projects were directly targeted in the latest attacks, they have been subject to numerous attacks by insurgents in the past, who view China as an encroaching foreign power seeking to control the region’s resources. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of several separatist militant groups operating in Balochistan for decades, claimed responsibility for last week’s attacks. In response, the Pakistani army initiated intelligence-based operations against the militants on Friday. The extent to which Beijing has offered direct assistance to Pakistan in managing security for Chinese projects remains unclear. However, in the past, special Chinese security teams collaborated closely with Pakistani agencies to track down the perpetrators of a suicide bombing targeting Chinese teachers in Karachi in 2022.
The delay in the airport’s opening highlights the significant security challenges faced by both China and Pakistan in their joint ventures in Balochistan. The region’s volatile security landscape and the ongoing insurgency pose a persistent threat to CPEC projects and necessitate robust security measures to ensure their successful implementation.
