Let’s explore the reported terrorist attack on a Chinese engineers’ vehicle of the Dasu hydropower project near Besham city in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on March 26, 2024: The first and most well-known excuse cited whenever a major terrorist incident occurs in the country, the media, security experts, and even state institutions start to make sweeping allegations is that there is a foreign hand in the attacks. The same is the case for the recent Shangla attack especially those targeting Chinese nationals related to projects. Thousands of Chinese engineers and laborers are working in Pakistan. Most of them are associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is an extension of Beijing’s global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure program.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement; “Today’s attack was orchestrated by the enemies of Pakistan-China friendship. We will resolutely act against all such forces and defeat them, Pakistan will continue to work with our Chinese brothers in ensuring the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.” The TTP has been projected as the prime suspect, as one of its commanders was declared the mastermind behind a similar attack on the Chinese in Kohistan in 2021.

Balochistan is the country’s largest province by area but also its poorest, despite being rich in natural resources, including oil, coal, gold, copper, and gas reserves. This has bred accusations from many in Balochistan that successive Pakistani governments have neglected their concerns while exploiting the province and benefitting “foreigners”.

Significantly, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other Baloch groups are increasingly targeting Chinese nationals and projects after the inception of CPEC related projects in 2013. Baloch groups target Chinese nationals engaged in economic activities, as they believe that China, in connivance with Islamabad, is exploiting the resources of the province, while denying any benefits to the Baloch people. They believe that CPEC is part of a ‘strategic design’ by China to loot resources........

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