Mawmluh cave, the first cave that was explored by a British official in 1844, is one of the prominent tourist destinations in northeastern India…writes Sujit Chakraborty
Meghalaya’s Mawmluh cave, which is one of longest in the Indian subcontinent, has been selected as one of the ‘First 100 IUGS Geological Sites’ in the world by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), officials said on Sunday.
Locally known as Krem Mawmluh, the 4,500-metre-long cave at Sohra in the East Khasi Hills District, is around 60 km from Shillong, and is known for its stalagmite structures and other rock formations.
Mawmluh cave, the first cave that was explored by a British official in 1844, is one of the prominent tourist destinations in northeastern India.
Officials said that there is a pool inside the cave, formed as a result of five different rivers finding their way inside it.
Since these caves are located in wet Sohra, some scientists are studying the stalagmites to help predict monsoon patterns and droughts.
Researchers from the US studied the cave for the past 50 years for growth of a stalagmite as it is in a region known for being the rainiest place on earth. Scientists found that there is an unusual connection between winter rainfall amounts in northeast India and climatic conditions in the Pacific Ocean, Meghalaya officials said.
They said that the ten longest caves in the country are all in Meghalaya.
These subterranean networks spread across the southern ranges like a complex network of routes formed by the erosion of limestone and unrelenting flow of water. Mawmluh offers a glimpse into this fascinating world underneath our feet.
Expressing his joy at the distinction, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma tweeted: “IUGS 60th Anniversary Event in Zumaia, Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark (Spain) will declare the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites selected from 181 candidate sites from 56 countries.
“Mawmluh Cave in Sohra, Meghalaya known for the ‘Meghalayan Age’ has been selected by the IUGS UNESCO as one of the ‘FIRST 100 IUGS GEOLOGICAL SITES’ in the world”.
Foreign Secretary Kwatra is on a three-day official visit to the Maldives…reports Asian Lite News
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation during discussions with his Maldivian counterpart Ahmed Latheef in Male on Sunday.
They also witnessed exchange of the US$100 mn Line of Credit (LoC) Agreement and the handing over of a speed boat to the Maldivian authorities.
Foreign Secretary Kwatra is on a three-day official visit to the Maldives.
“Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra reviewed the entire spectrum of #IndiaMaldives cooperation with Foreign Secretary Ahmed Latheef.
Both sides positively assessed the robust growth in our bilateral ties and discussed ways to further build on the momentum,” MEA Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, both Foreign Secretaries noted the successful economic cooperation and the progress of projects that is being implemented under Indian grant assistance and line of credit scheme.
The discussions also included matters relating to development cooperation, human resource development, multilateral engagements and consular affairs. Foreign Secretary Latheef expressed gratitude to the Government of India for the constant support and commitment shown to the people, and the development of the Maldives, the ministry noted.
They witnessed exchange of the $100 mn Line of Credit (LoC) Agreement, announced during the visit of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to India in August 2022, and handing over of a speed launch to the Maldives Correctional Services, under Indian grant assistance.
The LoC agreement was exchanged by Minister of Finance, Ibrahim Ameer, on behalf of the Government of Maldives and General Manager of EXIM Bank of India, Nirmit Ved in a special ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Male.
The purpose of this agreement is to ease and facilitate the numerous ongoing key infrastructure projects in the Maldives. The agreement exchanged today is a testament to the unwavering support and commitment of the Government of India in improving the socioeconomic wellbeing and public welfare of Maldives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives said.
Talking about the handing over of the speed boat, the ministry said it marks the completion of this project under grant assistance scheme provided by the Government of India, which would be utilised to ease transportation issues and increase the capacity of Maldives Correctional Service to undertake its responsibilities in serving the community.
The total amount allocated for this project was 8 million rufiyaa. The first component of this project concerned the procurement of land vehicles and the second component of this project entailed the construction of a sea vessel.
According to the Foreign Ministry of Maldives, the financial support has been provided from the grant assistance of total 106 million rufiyaa granted to the Government of Maldives by the Government of India during the visit of the Minister of External Affairs of India in March 2019.
The aim of the grant assistance is to conduct socio-economic development projects across the country which make a significant impact. The projects under this grant will be managed by local authorities, the ministry pointed out.
Realizing that its resolution would not get majority support, China withdrew its draft resolution on September 30…reports Asian Lite News
The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was held in Vienna from September 26-30, where China tried to get a resolution passed against the AUKUS for seeking to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines (but armed with conventional weapons).
But India’s deft diplomacy thwarted China’s bid to pass the resolution against the AUKUS and it withdrew its resolution, said sources.
China argued that this initiative was in violation of their responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It also criticized the role of IAEA in this regard.
India took an objective view of the initiative, recognising the soundness of the technical evaluation by IAEA.
The Indian Mission to the IAEA in Vienna worked closely with many IAEA member states in this regard.
India’s considered role helped many smaller countries take a clear stand on the Chinese proposal.
Realizing that its resolution would not get majority support, China withdrew its draft resolution on September 30.
Interestingly, the Chinese were confident enough of the success of September 28 to get Global Times to issue an article on the subject.
India’s deft and impactful diplomacy was deeply appreciated by IAEA member states, particularly the AUKUS partners.
India condemns 'hate crime' at Bhagavad Gita Park in Canada
A sign with the park’s name was allegedly vandalised and officials have ordered a probe, said city Mayor Patrick Brown…reports Asian Lite News
Condemning strongly the “hate crime” at a park named after the Bhagavad Gita in Canada, India urged authorities to take prompt action.
“We condemn the hate crime at the Shri Bhagvad Gita Park in Brampton. We urge Canadian authorities and Peel Police to investigate and take prompt action on the perpetrators,” High Commission of India in Ottawa said in a tweet.
A sign with the park’s name was allegedly vandalised and officials have ordered a probe, said city Mayor Patrick Brown, who confirmed the incident on Twitter. Condemning the incident, Brown said, “We have zero tolerance for this.”
He also said that the matter has now been flagged to Peel Regional Police for further investigation, adding that the Parks department is working to resolve and correct the sign as soon as possible.
Tharoor says he is open to the idea of a public debate between the candidates as it would evoke people’s interest in the party in a manner similar to the recent British Conservative Party leadership race…reports Asian Lite News
With two weeks left for the Congress election for its new party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor have began ther campaign in full steam.
While Lok Sabha MP Tharoor said he would be open to the idea of a public debate between the candidates as it would evoke people’s interest in the party in a manner similar to the recent British Conservative Party leadership race, Kharge asserted that the “G23” camp no longer exists and all leaders are united to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, who resigned from the post on Friday to contest the election, also said he told Tharoor, who is also in the fray for the poll, that it would be better to have a consensus candidate but the latter insisted on a contest for the “sake of democracy”.
Kharge was addressing the media during the launch of his Congress presidential poll campaign when he made the remarks. While the election, if needed, is slated to be held on October 17, the results will be declared on October 19.
“There is no G23 camp now. All leaders (of G23) want to work together to stay united and fight against BJP-RSS. This is the reason they are supporting me,” the 80-year-old said.
Several leaders such as Bhupinder Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and Prithviraj Chavan were among 23 leaders, popularly called G23, who had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 2020, seeking organisational reforms in the party.
These leaders have now, however, put their weight behind Kharge by becoming his proposers for next month’s poll.
Kharge said he is contesting the election on the insistence of senior leaders as no member of the Gandhi family wanted to become the party chief.
“All my colleagues told me to fight the party president poll and on their calling and encouragement, I got inspiration as they extended their cooperation… because Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi do not want to become president,” he said.
He dismissed allegations that he is Gandhis’ candidate. Talking about Tharoor’s phone call to him after nominations, Kharge said he told him that it would be “better to have a consensus candidate to which he (Tharoor) said that there should be a fight in a democracy, and then I said okay”.
“When a candidate decides to contest, how can I stop him? So, he is fighting and he is my younger brother. It is a family matter and we have to stay united today and tomorrow,” he said.
Kharge said he has not entered the poll fray to oppose anyone but to “strengthen the party”. “Will always work to take forward the party’s principles and ideology,” he said.
He said that in line with the “one person, one post” principle of the party, he resigned as LoP in Rajya Sabha on Friday, the day he filed the nomination.
To fight in the October 17 poll, a candidate needs 10 proposers.
Meanwhile, Tharoor said the Nehru-Gandhi family has held and will always hold a special place in the hearts of Congress party members.
Tharoor said the answer to the Congress’ current challenges lies in a combination of effective leadership and organisational reforms.
Talking about what he brings to the table, Tharoor said, “I have a proven and credible track record in leading at the highest levels of organisations, whether it has been at the UN, where, as the under-secretary general in-charge of the body’s public information department, I managed the communications of the UN’s largest department comprising of over 800 staff in 77 offices worldwide, rationalised its structure, trimmed its budget and sharpened its efforts – all of which prompted many to urge me to contest to lead the UN Organisation itself.
“Or, more recently for the Congress party, as founder-chairman of the All-India Professionals’ Congress, which I had to create from scratch and which in just five years since 2017 has over 10, 000 fellows from across 20 states in the country.” In terms of organisational reforms, the former Union minister said, he has outlined a set of priorities which he believes can help strengthen the Congress and take on the machinery of the BJP.
“Since our current situation is widely deplored, it may be an advantage not to be burdened by the baggage of having spent too much time in the present party organisation and be able to approach it from a fresh perspective,” the 66-year-old leader said.
129 people killed after stampede at football match in Indonesia.(photo:Twitter)
President Joko Widodo has ordered that all matches in Indonesia’s top league must be stopped until an investigation is done…reports Asian Lite News
At least 174 people have died and 180 others are injured in a stampede at a football match in Indonesia’s Malang in East Java province, Indonesian Police said on Sunday.
The incident took place after police tear-gassed supporters who invaded the pitch late on Saturday evening, BBC reported.
It is one of the world’s worst stadium disasters after local team Arema FC lost 2-3 to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya in East Java.
The country’s Chief Security Minister said that spectators exceeded the stadium’s 38,000 capacity by around 4,000, BBC reported.
President Joko Widodo has ordered that all matches in Indonesia’s top league must be stopped until an investigation is done.
Videos show fans running on to the pitch after the final whistle.
Police then fired tear gas, leading to a crowd stampede and cases of suffocation, said Nico Afinta, Police Chief in East Java.
“It had gotten anarchic. They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” he said, adding that two police officers were among the deceased.
“We would like to convey that not all of them were anarchic. Only about 3,000 who entered the pitch,” he said.
Fleeing fans “went out to one point at the exit. Then there was a build-up, in the process of accumulation, there was shortness of breath, lack of oxygen”, he added.
Videos on social media show fans clambering over fences to escape. Separate videos appear to show lifeless bodies on the floor.
FIFA, the world’s governing football body, states that no “crowd control gas” should be carried or used by stewards or police at matches.
The Indonesian football association (PSSI) said it had launched an investigation, adding that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football”.
Violence at football matches is not new in Indonesia, and Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya are long-time rivals.
Persebaya Surabaya fans were banned from buying tickets for the game because of fears of clashes.
But Chief Security Minister Mahfud MD posted on Instagram that 42,000 tickets had been sold for the match at the Kanjuruhan stadium.
President Widodo called for this to be the “last soccer tragedy in the nation” after ordering that all Liga 1 games should be paused pending an investigation.
The stampede is the latest in a long line of disasters at stadiums.
In 1964, a total of 320 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured during a stampede at a Peru-Argentina Olympic qualifier in Lima.
In 1985, 39 people died and 600 were hurt at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium, when fans were crushed against a wall that then collapsed during the European Cup final between Liverpool (England) and Juventus (Italy).
In the UK, a crush developed at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, resulting in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans attending the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
“A dark day for football”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Sunday said that it is a “dark day” for football following the death of at least 174 people and injury to 180 others in a stampede at a football match in Indonesia’s Malang in East Java province.
The tragic incident, which is one of the world’s worst stadium disasters, took place after local team Arema FC lost 2-3 to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya in East Java.
According to a BBC report, the crush took place after police tear-gassed supporters who invaded the pitch late on Saturday evening.
“The football world is in a state of shock following the tragic incidents that have taken place in Indonesia. This is a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension” Infantino said.
As panic spread in Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, thousands surged towards the exits, where many suffocated. Notably, tear gas is banned at football stadiums by the international governing body FIFA.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives following this tragic incident,” Infantino further said.
“Together with FIFA and the global football community, all our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, those who have been injured, together with the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the Asian Football Confederation, the Indonesian Football Association, and the Indonesian Football League, at this difficult time,” he added.
Physicists Albert Einstein and Oppenheimer conferring circa 1950
PS “Oppenheimer” is the subject of forthcoming Hollywood biopic to be released in 2023…writes Dilip Roy
JR Oppenheimer (1904-1967) was an American theoretical physicist of German origin just like his friend Nobel laureate Albert Einstein was also of German descent and both were profoundly influenced by Hindu thought along with notable physicists such as Niels Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrodinger to name but a few. The Vedas are a group of writings in Sanskrit that consists of hymns, prayers, myths, historical accounting, science and the nature of reality. The Vedic compositions dates back to around five thousand years BCE.Oppenheimer today is rightly regarded as the father of Atomic Bomb.
Presentation of the Army-Navy “E” Award at Los Alamos on October 16, 1945. Oppenheimer (left) gave his farewell speech as director on this occasion. Robert Gordon Sproul right, in suit, accepted the award on behalf of the University of California from Leslie Groves (center)
He was among those who observed the Trinity test in New Mexico where the first Atomic bomb was detonated successfully on July 16, 1945. While witnessing the explosion of Trinity nuclear test he thought of a verse from Bhagavad Gita “If the radiance of thousand suns were to at once into the sky that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.” Among his friends was Arthur W. Ryder a notable professor of Sanskrit at Berkeley University for Oppenheimer, he found a quintessential intellectual as a friend and it is Ryder who made him aware of India’s ancient language and started giving him lessons once every week. Robert was so enraptured by his Sanskrit studies that when, in the year 1933 , his father bought him a Chrysler, and he named it Garuda, after the giant bird god in Hindu Mythology The Gita which constitutes the heart of Sanskrit epic The Mahabharata is told in the form of a dialogue between the incarnate god Krishna and a human hero Prince Arjuna. About to lead his troops into the battle, Arjuna refuses to go to war against his cousins the Kurus. Lord Krishna the charioteer tells Arjuna that he must fulfil his duty as a warrior and pick up the weapon and fight. Oppenheimer’s yet another of his favorite parts of the Gita, the (Satakatrayam) contains these fatalistic lines:
Vanquish enemies at arms Gain mastery of the sciences and varied arts You may do all this, but Karma’s force Alone prevents what is not destined And compels what is to become.
Oppenheimer also read the Sanskrit poems of the great Kalidasa in its original and his favorite romantic poem was “The Cloud Messenger.” Vedic philosophy has influenced whole generation of Quantum physicists and Oppenheimer was certainly among them. According to Oppenheimer if there was anything that may be regarded as privilege the West has in 19th century it was the study of GITA. The use of Brahmastra has been mentioned in the MAHABHARATA war. Remarkably Oppenheimer also believed at the possibility of Brahmastra on par with the modern nuclear weapons of today.
The famous Danish physicist and Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr (1885-1962) was an ardent follower of the Vedas. He said, “I go into the Upanishads to ask questions.” Both Bohr and Schrodinger were the founders of quantum physics, were avid readers of the Vedic texts and came to a conclusion that their experiments in quantum physics were consistent with what they had read in the Vedas. This is pretty much also the belief of scientists of today.
Oppenheimer in 1946 with his trademark cigarette
Erwin Schrodinger (1887-1961) Austrian born physicist and Nobel Laureate came up with his famous wave of equation that predicts how the Quantum Mechanical wave function changes with time. Schrodinger, in speaking of a universe in which particles are represented by wave of functions, said “The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. This is entirely consistent with the Vedanta concept of All in One.” Vedanta and mythical beliefs are likely to appeal to a mathematical physicist, a brilliant child, tempted on occasion by intellectual pride.
Such factors may help to explain why Schrodinger became a believer in Vedanta. Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) was a German physicist and a Nobel Laureate like his fellow scientists was profoundly influenced by Hindu Vedic philosophy. According to Heisenberg Quantum theory will not look ridiculous to people who have read Vedanta because it is the conclusion of Vedic thought. In lectures given in the 1950’s and later published as (Physics and Philosophy) Heisenberg stated that modern physics is part of a general historical process that tends toward a unification and a widening of our present world. As regards to the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, he liked his idea about the Sanskrit language which according to German Indologists is the origin of all languages.
Heisenberg admired Eastern philosophy and thought and saw parallels between it and quantum mechanics, describing himself as in complete agreement. Heisenberg even as far as to state that after conversations with India’s Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore about Indian philosophy that seemed to make much more sense which was at par with the Vedas.
In the 1920’s Quantum Mechanics was created by three great minds namely Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrodinger, who all read from the greatly respected the Vedas. They elaborated upon these ancient books of wisdom in their own language and with modern mathematical concepts in order to understand the ideas that are to be found throughout the Vedas referred to in the ancient Sanskrit as “Brahman,” “Paramatma,” “Akasha” and “Atma.” Vedic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads were the most influential to have come from ancient India and went on to influence whole generation of European intellectuals, artists and scientists alike.
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes’ Laboratory in Leiden, Netherlands, 1926. Oppenheimer is in the middle row, second from the left.
PS “Oppenheimer” is the subject of forthcoming Hollywood biopic to be released in 2023.
(Dilip Roy is an elected Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society of United Kingdom is also a researcher and an Indo-German cultural enthusiast. Mr Roy is a great admirer of European classical music and operas particularly those of composer Richard Wagner and his favorite music conductor is the world renowned Indian maestro Zubin Mehta.)
South Africa’s petroleum industry body SAPIA, which represents major oil producers, was not immediately available for comment…reports Asian Lite News
Jet fuel supplies at one of Africa’s busiest airports are running low following further delays in deliveries, South Africa’s state-controlled airports company said on Saturday.
Airports Company SA (ACSA) did not elaborate on what was causing the delay at Cape Town International Airport after it received a report on the situation from jet fuel suppliers.
“ACSA has been working closely with airlines to reduce uplift out of Cape Town, and due to the added risks has had to introduce further restrictions on fuel uplift to conserve fuel stocks until a new consignment of jet fuel arrives,” ACSA said.
There is currently no impact on scheduled flights, however based on a current risk assessment report airlines have been requested to conduct technical stops to get fuel at alternative airports, it added.
South Africa’s petroleum industry body SAPIA, which represents major oil producers, was not immediately available for comment.
Some of the reasons leading to negative records in the artisanal fishing sector include illegal fishing and the use of inappropriate equipment, a phenomenon that tends to intensify in the country, according to the data shared at the event…reports Asian Lite News
Mozambican government launched the 4th Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture Census, aiming to collect data on the fishing activities in the country and better capitalize on the sector’s economic potential.
The census is expected to provide information about the number of fishermen operating nationwide, the fishing vessels that are functional, and the kind of equipment used to capture different sea products, said the Minister of the Sea, Interior Waters and Fisheries, Lidia Cardoso, who addressed the launching ceremony in Maputo.
Despite the country’s 2,700-kilometer coastline, fishing authorities’ records indicate undue losses, and they hope to improve this scenario through informed decisions backed by the data collected during the census, said the minister.
Some of the reasons leading to negative records in the artisanal fishing sector include illegal fishing and the use of inappropriate equipment, a phenomenon that tends to intensify in the country, according to the data shared at the event.
“The practice of illegal and harmful fishing is also another barrier that we have been trying to discourage because it harms the normal growth of sea products and the gains that could be captured in the future,” said Elisete Cunguara, Director of the Institute for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture during the ceremony.
The institute has been promoting aquaculture as a solution to guarantee production even in closed seasons, but they have been battling with the input costs, which is hindering the popularization of the activity, said Cunguara.
Statistics from the authorities show that Mozambique produced a total of 447,000 tons of various types of fish last year, of which 92 percent came from artisanal fishing.
Pakistan has become a killing field for Chinese nationals and no amount of their security is fool proof that Beijing wants it to be. Rather incidents of attack on Chinese nationals have increased with the noticeable rise in anti-China feelings in Pakistan’s Sindh, Balochistan, Pakhtunkhwa provinces and also in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region in the recent past … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
After three Chinese language teachers and their Pakistan driver were killed in a suicide bombing outside the Karachi University in April this year, Beijing issued a stern warning: “The blood of the Chinese cannot be shed in vain, and those behind this incident will surely pay the price.” The Pakistan government, under China’s pressure, maintained that the security of Chinese residents would be ensured in every manner.
But in Pakistan, which is drowned in huge debt and flood while being hobbled with ramshackle political governance, the gap between pledge and ground reality seems to have widened further. An unidentified assailant killed a Chinese national and injured two others in the middle of Pakistan’s Karachi town on September 28. Since 2016, when Beijing launched the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), this was the 10th attack on Chinese nationals and interests in Pakistan. In Karachi alone, this was the second attack on Chinese nationals since the Shehbaz Sharif government came into power.
Indications are clear: Pakistan has become a killing field for Chinese nationals and no amount of their security is foolproof as Beijing wants it to be. Rather incidents of attack on Chinese nationals have increased with the noticeable rise in anti-China feelings in Pakistan’s Sindh, Balochistan, and Pakhtunkhwa provinces and also in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region in the recent past.
This year on January 17, a massive anti-China protest rally was organised by political activists and people in Pakistan’s Sind province’s Sann town on the 118th birth anniversary of veteran Sindh nationalist leader G M Syed. While raising pro-freedom slogans, the protestors at the rally condemned China for exploiting their resources.
In July 2020, a huge protest erupted in Muzaffarabad of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir against China, condemning it for the illegal construction of Neelum Jhelum and Kohala Hydropower stations. The protestors highlighted the environmental impacts of dams constructed by China under the CPEC initiative.
In November 18, 2020, thousands of Pakistani labourers staged a protest against China in Karachi, complaining about unequal wages received by them as compared to Chinese workers involved in CPEC projects.
Last year in August, people burned tires, chanted slogans, and shut down Pakistan’s port city of Gwadar, protesting against China’s illegal fishing in nearby waters and the CPEC project which is a part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, stretching across 70 countries in the world.
Gwadar Port is an integral part of the multi-billion CPEC project and as per ‘The Guardian’, Pakistan surrendered it to a Chinese-backed multinational corporation for a lease of 40 years. It has given a fillip to the insurgency in Balochistan with separatist groups carrying out attacks on Chinese nationals and CPEC projects.
Nine Chinese workers were killed in July last year when a vehicle laden with explosives and driven by a suicide attacker rammed the bus in which they were travelling towards the Dasu Hydropower project in the Upper Kohistan area of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the blast. Pakistan had to pay millions in compensation to the family of the Chinese workers killed.
China’s ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong escaped unhurt, yet five people were killed and 12 others injured when a suicide bomb attack was carried out at a luxury hotel in Pakistan’s Quetta in April 2021. Earlier, the Chinese Consulate in Karachi was attacked by the Baloch Liberation Army in November 2018. It was the second attack on Chinese interests in that year after a bus carrying Chinese engineers was targeted by suicide bombers in Baluchistan’s Dalbandin city in August 2018. Three Chinese nationals were injured in that suicide bomb attack.
In 2017, an outfit called ‘Majeed Brigade’ attacked a five-star hotel in Gwadar when the Chinese delegation was busy planning for a port project. Eight people were killed in that attack. In the same year, a video on Twitter and other social media surfaced in which a purported member of the ‘Majeed Brigade’ is heard warning Chinese President Xi Jinping to “get out of Balochistan.” Earlier in May 2017, the couple Li Zang Hing and Ming Leassi Ha were kidnapped from Quetta and were later killed. The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for killing the Chinese couple who were said to be teachers at a language centre in Quetta.
Records suggest that in the last six years, especially after Chinese men landed in hordes in Pakistan in connection with CPEC projects, different extremist groups have made Chinese interests targets of their attacks inside the country. On May 6, 2016, the foundation of the CPEC initiative was laid in Sukkur city in Pakistan’s Sindh province with the beginning of the construction of a section of highway between Sukkur and the city of Multan. A few days later, China experienced its first shock when a Chinese worker and his driver were wounded in a bomb attack in Sindh province on May 30.
A detailed analysis of attacks will reveal that Chinese nationals’ presence on Pakistani soil was unacceptable to people in the country from the beginning of the launch of the CPEC project. Yet China has never criticised the Pakistani government or its law enforcement agencies for their failure to stop the attacks on Chinese nationals. This is surprising for foreign watchers across the world.
