ISLAMABAD — In response to a series of recent militant assaults, Pakistani authorities have implemented a lockdown of the capital city ahead of a high-profile gathering involving senior officials from various nations under the framework of an Asian security organization.
The capital, along with the adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi, entered a three-day holiday period beginning Monday. During this time, troops have been deployed, and critical roadways have been obstructed, significantly hampering emergency services and making it challenging for ambulances to reach hospitals. Medical personnel attempting to traverse the blocked routes have appealed to law enforcement to remove the barricades, but officers have directed them to seek alternative, longer paths instead.
The principal event of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is set to take place on Wednesday, where leaders and officials from member countries will convene to deliberate on enhancing security collaboration and economic connections.
In previous years, it was commonplace for local residents to gather along the main thoroughfares to greet distinguished visitors. However, due to heightened concerns over potential militant attacks, authorities have deemed it necessary to implement stringent security measures.
Government officials are focused on ensuring that the meeting for the Asian security coalition, which was established in 2001 by China and Russia to address security issues in Central Asia and beyond, proceeds without incident. The SCO includes other member states such as Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Recent months have seen a surge in violence, with militants claiming the lives of dozens in various attacks across tumultuous regions in northwest and southwestern Pakistan, particularly near the Afghan border. While security analysts assert that the militants present a limited threat to Islamabad, caution remains high.
Compounding security fears, a suicide bombing on October 6 outside Karachi’s largest airport resulted in the deaths of two Chinese engineers, with a separatist group claiming responsibility for the attack.
The deceased engineers were engaged in a power project that is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a venture aimed at improving infrastructure such as roads and rail systems to connect China’s Xinjiang region with Gwadar port on Pakistan’s southwestern coast.
Notwithstanding the fatalities of the two Chinese nationals, Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Islamabad on Monday to participate in the SCO summit. On the same day, he virtually inaugurated a China-financed airport located in the unrest-prone Balochistan region, where separatist factions have cautioned against the continuation of CPEC-related endeavors to prevent further attacks on Chinese personnel.
In light of the rising threats from the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, Pakistan’s military has intensified operations against known militant hideouts, pledging to eradicate their presence in Balochistan and other regions throughout the nation.