In the volatile southwestern province of Pakistan, where there has been a spike in violent attacks in recent months, Pakistan has declared a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist organizations. According to a statement from his office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of military and political authorities on Tuesday and approved the operation. Neither the military nor Sharif’s office would provide information regarding the operation, including if it would involve air or ground strikes or whether some of it would be carried out in collaboration with China or Iran. Following a wave of assaults that targeted its citizens, China has been advocating for measures to protect them. On Tuesday, it announced a plan for joint counterterrorism exercises in Pakistan. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian did not explicitly respond to a question on Wednesday about whether China is involved in Pakistan’s proposal, stating only that Beijing “is willing to deepen pragmatic cooperation” for the mutual benefit of both nations.

Strengthening counterterrorism intelligence

Additionally, Iran has been conducting massive military operations against separatist forces in the southeast region of Sistan and Baluchestan, which shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although it is unknown when the military operation will begin, Sharif’s office says it will target the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other banned organizations. At the request of hostile external powers, the groups “target innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan’s economic progress by creating insecurity,” the administration said. The BLA has been fighting for independence from Islamabad through armed insurgency for a long time. Claiming that the government unfairly exploits the province’s mineral and gas riches, it is the largest of numerous ethnic rebel organizations fighting the government. 26 persons, including troops, police officers, and civilians, were killed when a BLA suicide bomber detonated himself at a packed train station in Quetta on November 9. Rich in resources The largest and poorest province in the nation, Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to many armed separatist groups. Armed groups have previously targeted energy projects that received foreign funding, particularly from China, and accused outsiders of taking advantage of the area while keeping locals out of the gains. Many of the thousands of Chinese workers in Pakistan are engaged in Beijing’s multibillion-dollar infrastructure initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative.

Economic development as a security strategy

The Pakistani military reported on Wednesday that fighters had stormed a base in the hilly province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest, killing 12 soldiers. The attack, which involved smashing a car loaded with explosives into the outside wall of the military outpost in the Bannu province, claimed the lives of six combatants. The incident was claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a dissident element of the Pakistani Taliban. Eight individuals were killed in another attack that also occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the total number of people killed in armed attacks in the last 24 hours to 20. The attack was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran said Wednesday that it had arrested 11 armed separatists and killed three more as part of its extensive operation in Sistan and Baluchestan.

China-Pakistan counterterrorism collaboration

The armed separatist group Jaish al-Adl, which Tehran views as an Israeli-backed “terrorist” organization, was the target of airstrikes by the Pakistani military last month at the behest of Iranian officials. According to the gang, 12 members were murdered in the strikes. The recent terrorist assaults that killed 37 people in Pakistan’s Balochistan area have been harshly denounced by China. The Chinese government has promised to keep helping Pakistan fight terrorism. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lin Jian condemned the Baloch gunmen’s actions and reaffirmed China’s unwavering anti-terrorist position in a statement released on Tuesday. Lin restated China’s pledge to support Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, uphold social order, and guarantee public safety. To jointly maintain regional peace and security, Lin said, “China is willing to strengthen counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan.” 

Long-term security solutions for Balochistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about the situation, emphasizing that the recent attacks, which started on Sunday and have killed more than 70 people, are the most widespread extremist activity in years. These actions, according to Sharif, are intended to sabotage CPEC development projects and exacerbate tensions between Beijing and Islamabad. Sharif stated that the terrorists are attempting to sow conflict between the two nations and “want to stop CPEC and development projects.”