Pakistan approves additional budget to secure Chinese interests: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 7 : The Pakistan government has approved an additional budget of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 45 billion for the armed forces to enhance their capacity to secure Chinese commercial interests within the country, The Balochistan Post reported.
According to the report, the decision was made during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, chaired by Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
PKR 35.4 billion will be allocated to the army, while PKR 9.5 billion will be designated for the navy. These funds are part of a technical supplementary grant for pre-approved defence projects for the current fiscal year, the Balochistan Post reported.
Notably, this allocation is the second major supplementary grant for the armed forces since the federal budget was approved in June.
Previously, the ECC allocated Rs 60 billion for "Operation Azm-e-Istehkam." These supplementary grants are in addition to the already substantial Rs 2.127 trillion defence budget.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major infrastructure initiative launched in 2015 as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has encountered escalating security challenges, including armed attacks.
In response, China has urged Pakistan to sign an anti-terrorism cooperation agreement and proposed establishing a joint security company to protect its citizens working on CPEC projects. Additionally, China has suggested incorporating mobile security equipment and developing ballistic protective vehicles.
CPEC has faced significant criticism from Baloch political groups, which argue that the project exploits local resources without benefiting the indigenous population. Critics contend that CPEC has disrupted the lives of Baloch residents, depriving them of essential services such as healthcare, education, and clean water.
They view the project as a "military and imperial venture" aimed at expanding China's regional influence. Baloch pro-independence armed groups have called for an end to Pakistan-China investments, seeing CPEC as a form of "colonialism."
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent armed group, has launched a military campaign against Chinese interests, forming the Majeed Brigade to carry out tactical attacks on Chinese nationals and CPEC projects, according to the Balochistan Post.
Since 2018, the BLA's elite unit has conducted several attacks against Chinese interests. On August 11, 2018, a bus carrying Chinese engineers was targeted in Dalbandin, Balochistan. Later that year, the group attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi, followed by an assault on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar on May 11, 2019.
In 2021, a convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar, followed by a deadly attack on Chinese nationals at Karachi University in April 2022. The latter attack was carried out by Shari Baloch, the first female "Fidayee (self-sacrificer)" of the BLA.
In August last year, the Majeed Brigade attacked a convoy transporting Chinese engineers in Gwadar. In March 2024, they launched another assault targeting Pakistan's intelligence agencies at the GDA complex in Gwadar, a highly secured zone.
Later that month, the Majeed Brigade also targeted Pakistan's second-largest naval air station, PNS Siddique, in Turbat, a strategic site that houses Chinese drones. The BLA declared this as the fifth phase of "Operation Zirpahazag" and issued a warning to China, threatening further severe attacks unless it ceases its involvement in what they describe as "exploitative activities" and support for the Pakistani military in Balochistan.