As China has increased its presence in the Pakistani states of Balochistan and Sindh, for the expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative projects, Baloch and Sindh separatist groups have announced that they are forming an alliance and plans to attack ‘expansionist Chinese’ in their region the Nikkei Asian Review reported.
The Baloch Raj Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella organization comprising of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Baloch Republican Guards (BRG), and the Sindudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) held a meeting at an unidentified location to deliberate on the changing geopolitical situation and to put up a united front against Pakistan.
The statement read, “Sindh and Balochistan are equally affected by the ‘expansionist’ and ‘oppressive’ resolves of China. Through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China aims to subjugate Sindh and Balochistan and occupy the coasts and resources from Badin to Gwadar”.
“The participants in the session unanimously agreed that the Sindhi and Baloch nation have had political, historical and cultural ties that have persisted for thousands of years. Currently both nations aim for independence and both consider Pakistan state (Punjab) an arch enemy.”, the statement further added.
Just recently Baloch separatists attacked Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi with the support from Sindhi separatists. Security officials in Pakistan now think the alliance between Sindhi insurgents and Bolach fighters will enable them to launch deadlier attacks against the Islamic State of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan blamed India for the attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which is practically owned by China.
Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan and is very crucial for the success of CPEC because it has the Gwadar port and with the Baloch and Sindhi separatists, it could create several hurdles for China and Pakistan to execute their plans.
However, China is very much invested in CPEC, part of the broader BRI. According to Mohan Malik, a professor of strategic studies at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, told the Nikkei Asian Review “As China doubles down on the CPEC infrastructure projects from Kashmir to Karachi and Gwadar, the insurgent forces will seek to raise the costs by launching attacks and raids”.