China spurned Pakistan’s projects over political instability

China had shown red signal and rejected requests by the Pakistani authorities to add more projects to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) scheme.

CPEC consists a large transport, energy, and other infrastructure projects is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, has designed to boost Pakistan’s fragile economy situation, but the ongoing political instability triggered since last year after ouster of Imran Khan, former Prime Minister, from office through non-confidence vote.

CPEC is also playing a huge role in improving the economy of Afghanistan, the neighboring country of both, China and Pakistan, and it will also improve trade between Beijing and Islamabad. The project funded by China valued more than $60b, and it is considered a game changer in the region, where almost everyone will be benefited.

China rejected calls to invest in fresh BRI projects in Pakistan, according to the minutes of a high-level meeting between the two countries, Nikkei Asia reported.

The cut in no more funding projects is mainly due to the political uncertainty and deteriorating security situation across the country, including Islamabad the capital city.

Chinese sides turned down Pakistan’s suggestions to add more projects related to energy, climate change, electricity transmission lines and tourism, Nikkei Asia quoted two officials who have seen the minutes, as saying.

No more projects related to energy, climate change, electricity and tourism

The unwillingness on the Chinese’s side to invest more on CPEC has surfaced since April when the then primer Imran Khan was ousted, triggering political instability in the country.

Gwadar port city is at the southern end of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan.

The minutes also reveal that Beijing declined Pakistan’s proposal to build a 500-kilovolt transmission line to connect the southern port of Gwadar to the national electricity grid from Karachi.

However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning and Development had downplayed Beijing’s standpoint, stating that China and Pakistan are committed to expanding the scope of (CPEC) to include new areas of cooperation, including water resources management, climate change and tourism.

CPEC projects have already been implemented and are ongoing in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and the coastal areas. More projects are planned in these areas in the future, the ministry said in a statement.

China and Pakistan have a time-tested friendship, and CPEC has greatly enhanced Pakistan’s energy, logistical, and physical infrastructure capabilities. The benefits of CPEC are widely distributed throughout Pakistan, read the statement

Both sides are fully resolved to now harness the investments in infrastructure for economic growth, particularly in export-oriented industries, agriculture productivity, and natural resource management, all while enhancing partnership in addressing the concerns of climate change and sustainable development, according to the statement.

Growing insecurity in Pakistan

At least 386 personnel from Pakistan security forces were killed in the first nine months of this year, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

CRSS in its report said that these casualties made the highest number of deaths in eight years. These casualties included 137 members of the Pakistani army and 208 police officers.

This comes while the year 2015 and 2016 were the deadliest, in which 293 security personnel lost their lives. The report said that Pakistan has been gripped with proxy terrorism that was primarily affecting the regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The recent incident in Balochistan was on Friday, in which dozens of people were killed and wounded. Over 60 people were killed after a suicide bomber exploded his explosive device at an even commemorating the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad in Baluchistan’s Mastung district.

While in the same day another five people were killed and over 10 received injuries in another suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district. The incident was involved two suicide bombers targeting a police station mosque in the district.

The escalation of violence in Pakistan has been attributed to two primary factors – the Afghan Taliban’s return in 2021 following hurry withdrawal of US troops and second the collapse of ceasefire between Pakistani Taliban TTP and Pakistani government last November.

It is worth mentioning that a large number of TTP members had fled to Afghanistan, and the Afghan Taliban are supporting TTP and giving them sanctuaries.