THE threat has not been taken lightly nor should it be. An extraordinary warning by the embassy of China in Pakistan to Chinese nationals in the country is an unwelcome reminder that the militancy threat has not abated and continues to be a serious problem for foreign nationals.

Threat alerts such as that issued by the China embassy need to be addressed immediately and meaningfully. Even if it were not for CPEC and the massive investments being made in Pakistan by Chinese companies, it is imperative that Pakistan be able to protect foreign nationals who travel to or work in this country.

It is not a question of politics or troublesome relationships with other countries. The interconnectedness of the Pakistani state with the outside world has suffered a great deal over the past decade, with many foreign delegations, private and public, unwilling to travel to this country because of the perception that great danger awaits them here.

For a country that is now looking to attract global investments, it is vital that foreign nationals be able to not just visit Pakistan, but feel safe and secure in doing so.

Presumably, foreign governments such as China, which are friendly towards Pakistan and looking to significantly expand their investments in this country, would not issue such a warning unless the threat were significant.

Ultimately, while Pakistan has made important strides towards securing investment zones and sites with significant foreign nationals present, there has to be a recognition of underlying perils. While China is evasive about militant threats to its territory and people, Pakistan need not be so. Pakistan’s long fight against militancy will ebb and flow, and the closer the strategic relationship with China becomes, the more likely there will be threats to both China and Pakistan.

But the Pakistani response cannot and should not be country specific. For many years, the state has been unnecessarily and undesirably suspicious of foreign nationals in this country. What is needed, instead, is an openness and a determination to protect all foreign nationals who wish to visit, travel to or live in Pakistan.

Until CPEC materialised, there were many other countries that either had or were interested in significant investments in Pakistan. There appears to be the possibility of fresh investments by a range of countries in Pakistan today.

Protect everyone, so that all may be safe and all may look to Pakistan as an investment destination.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017