China's bid to deploy security forces in Pakistan met with firm denial

Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) denied reports that China would deploy its security teams to protect Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on Thursday, calling such claims "speculative" and "agenda-driven."

"We categorically deny media reports regarding Chinese security teams being deployed to Pakistan," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during her weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

The spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan maintains the capability to protect Chinese citizens and institutions "at all costs," amid growing concerns over security arrangements following recent attacks.

"Pakistan and China continue their dialogue on counter-terrorism and the protection of Chinese citizens," Baloch said. "We will not allow speculation to damage Pakistan-China friendship."

Heightened tensions

The denial comes amid heightened tensions over security arrangements for Chinese nationals in Pakistan. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Beijing had been pushing for operational control over security for its citizens.

The report came days after a Pakistani security guard shot and wounded two Chinese nationals at a factory in Karachi on November 3, 2024. The factory attack came about a month after a suicide bombing killed two Chinese engineers returning from Thailand.

The attack, which involved a truck carrying approximately 100 kilograms of explosives, raised serious security concerns as the vehicle reportedly waited unchecked for 40 minutes near the airport's security perimeter.

A member of the Airport Security Force ASF stands guard near the wreckage of vehicles after an explosion near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan October 6, 2024.Reuters

Last month, the Chinese ambassador publicly criticized Pakistan over repeated security threats to Chinese nationals working on Belt and Road Initiative projects, calling them "unacceptable." Pakistan's Foreign Ministry called the ambassador's comments "perplexing" and out of line with diplomatic norms.

China has thousands of nationals working on projects under the $65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of Beijing's broader Belt and Road Initiative. While Pakistan currently deploys its army, police, and Special Protection Unit to guard Chinese citizens, recent attacks have strained the security arrangement between the two longtime allies.

According to sources familiar with the matter, China has expressed frustration over Pakistan's adherence to security protocols, though only Chinese embassies and consulates in Pakistan are currently permitted to have Chinese security personnel on-site.