A Sunday report by the Press Trust of India (PTI) quotes Indian officials as saying that China is helping the Pakistani Army build its defence infrastructure and set up communication towers along the Line of Control (LoC).
Beijing is further strengthening its position as an all-weather friend to Islamabad by providing it with new artillery to be deployed on the LoC.
#China has been helping the #PakistanArmy build its defence infrastructure, besides providing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, setting up communication towers and laying underground cables along the Line of Control, officials said.https://t.co/fiEbLoQZRe
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) June 26, 2023
Pakistani Army Deploying Chinese Artillery
The SH-15, a 155mm truck-mounted howitzer gun, also known as a shoot-and-scoot artillery weapon, was displayed on Pakistan Day in 2022.
Islamabad procured 236 SH-15s from China through a contract signed with the Chinese firm North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Nornico). The first delivery of these guns took place in January 2022, and they have been spotted in some areas along the LoC since then.
“China has sent an estimated 36,000 security guards into PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) to protect its hydro-electricity projects and other infrastructure projects from terror attacks,” according to Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. According to the professor, China had also been constructing “well-off society” villages in PoK.
Defence Infrastructure Support
Official sources said the Chinese troops and engineers were setting up infrastructure, like underground bunkers, along the LoC. China is also providing Pakistan with Unmanned Aerial and Combat Aerial Vehicles.
According to reports, Chinese experts are also digging tunnels in PoK’s Leepa Valley to build an all-weather road that will serve as an alternate route to reach the Karakoram highway.
Additionally, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) allowed the expansion of Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) in the PoK region last year while renewing the mobile licence of China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak).
CMPak is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of China Mobile Communications Corporation and was formed after the Chinese telecom company took over a Pakistani telecom company in 2007.
Meanwhile, Chinese enclaves in PoK have increased due to the development of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Following #Pakistan and #China’s suggestion that "third countries" could be included in #CPEC projects, #India said it “firmly and consistently opposes” projects in Pakistan-occupied Indian territory. Find out more:https://t.co/JNV5Hj46OV#Islamabad #NewDelhi #Beijing #POK
— Statecraft (@statecraftdaily) July 31, 2022
India’s Response
While the Indian Army has officially maintained silence on the matter, it has been updating intelligence agencies constantly. In the past, India has registered objections to Chinese presence in the Gilgit and Baltistan regions.
Official sources said the Indian Army is completely ready to counter any moves from across the border.
Under CPEC, initiated in 2014, China is linking Gwadar Port in Karachi to China’s Xinjiang province by the Karakoram highway. India has repeatedly objected to this project as it claims that many plans undertaken under it pass “are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan.”