KARACHI: The Baloch militant organisations are no longer a threat to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, adding that members of banned outfits were “not true Pakistanis”.

In an interview to BBC Urdu, he sounded confident that Gwadar port would soon become one of the world’s trading hubs as the security situation in Pakistan had improved to a large extent in the last few years. “If they [Baloch militants] are true Pakistanis, they should work in the interest of Pakistan,” he said brushing aside their capacity of becoming a threat to China, Pakistan and their CPEC project.

Mr Yao said he was satisfied with the security provided to about 10,000 Chinese nationals working on different CPEC projects in Pakistan which also has some 60,000 local people on different jobs.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Talks, at last
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

Talks, at last

The government’s constant threats to suspend KP’s elected dispensation over a political protest have escalated hostilities considerably. In that context, both sides did well to start talking.
IWT’s future
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

IWT’s future

TOGETHER with the Kashmir dispute, India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has become the biggest...
Pained minds
03 Oct, 2026

Pained minds

IN Pakistan, mental healthcare is wedged between two extremes — a luxury or a stigma. Estimates cited by the...
Risks ahead
Updated 02 Oct, 2026

Risks ahead

To think that the government would rather push out an elected government than grant a single prisoner some facilities does not square up rationally.
Exit from Iraq
02 Oct, 2026

Exit from Iraq

AMERICAN and British troops have once again shipped out of Iraq. On Wednesday, the foreign forces left the Arab...
Lahore’s ozone warning
02 Oct, 2026

Lahore’s ozone warning

LAHORE has received another warning that its air pollution crisis cannot be treated as a problem that begins with...