Pak to protect Chinese architects of Silk Road

Ramps up security after ISIS killing of 2 teachers

Chastened by the ISIS’ claim to have killed two kidnapped Chinese teachers, Pakistan is beefing up security around Chinese citizens streaming into the country on the back of Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure splurge.

China has often urged Pakistan to improve security after pledging around $57 billion to build power plants, railways, and roads that will cross the Himalayas to connect China with Pakistan’s port of Gwadar.

Pakistani officials have now outlined extensive security plans that include thousands-strong police protection forces, tighter monitoring of Chinese nationals, and in Balochistan — where the two teachers were kidnapped

on May 24 — a review of security arrangements.

The protection forces will buttress a 15,000strong Army division set up specifically to safeguard projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative, which has been credited with rejuvenating Pakistan’s $300 billion economy.

“We are already alert, but this incident has made us extra vigilant over Chinese security,” said Amin Yousafzai, deputy inspector general of police for the southern province of Sindh, which is home to about 50 million people.

Sindh is raising a protection unit of about 2,600 police officers to help safeguard 4,000 Chinese working on CPEC projects, and another 1,000 working in other businesses.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which signed billions of dollars in contracts with Chinese companies, is also conducting a Census of Chinese nationals and raising a force of about 4,200 officers to protect foreigners.

Balochistan would review the whole security arrangement and Chinese nationals who come in a private capacity should inform the authorities, said Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, spokesman for the provincial government.