Pakistan Increases Defense Budget to Safeguard Chinese Interests
The Pakistan government has approved an additional budget of PKR 45 billion for the armed forces to enhance security for Chinese commercial interests. This decision was made during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The army will receive PKR 35.4 billion, while the navy will get PKR 9.5 billion. These funds are part of a technical supplementary grant for pre-approved defense projects for the current fiscal year.
This allocation marks 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 grants are in addition to the existing Rs 2.127 trillion defense budget.
Security Challenges and CPEC
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), launched in 2015 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, faces increasing security challenges, including armed attacks. 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.
CPEC has faced criticism from Baloch political groups, who argue that the project exploits local resources without benefiting the indigenous population. They view it 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.”
Baloch Liberation Army’s Campaign
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has launched a military campaign against Chinese interests, forming the Majeed Brigade to carry out tactical attacks. Since 2018, the BLA’s elite unit has conducted several attacks, including targeting a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, attacking the Chinese consulate in Karachi, and assaulting the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar.
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 Majeed Brigade has continued its attacks, targeting Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and naval air stations, warning China of further severe attacks unless it ceases its involvement in “exploitative activities.”
Doubts Revealed
PKR -: PKR stands for Pakistani Rupee, which is the currency used in Pakistan, just like we use Indian Rupees (INR) in India.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is a province in Pakistan. It is known for its natural resources and has been a region with some political and security issues.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -: CPEC is a large development project between China and Pakistan. It involves building roads, railways, and other infrastructure to improve trade and economic growth between the two countries.
Baloch Liberation Army -: The Baloch Liberation Army is a group in Balochistan that wants independence from Pakistan. They sometimes use violence to protest against projects like CPEC, which they believe do not benefit the local people.
Supplementary grant -: A supplementary grant is extra money given by the government for specific purposes. In this case, it’s additional funding for the military to protect Chinese interests in Pakistan.