Relations between Pakistan and China have been so stable for so long that any idea of discord between them seems almost unimaginable. The two nations are aligned on geographical interests, shared values, and global policy objectives. They make natural allies and have maintained this alliance consistently since their founding around the same time.

Given this history, it’s understandable that the Pakistani Foreign Office might find a slightly more pointed tone from China perplexing, especially in light of their positive diplomatic tradition. Yet for many observers of government policy, such comments from China may not seem quite as surprising as they appear to the Foreign Office. Even as the Foreign Office spokesperson made this observation, nine people were killed, and 29 others injured in a blast targeting a girls’ high school in Mustang, injuring children, labourers, and law enforcement officers.

This incident is only one in a long line of attacks that are, sadly, beginning to blur together. Terrorist activity in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reached levels unseen since the height of the Afghan War and the subsequent instability triggered by US intervention. Foreign nationals working in Pakistan, particularly Chinese workers developing these two provinces, are frequent, if not primary, targets of this rise in militancy. This escalation aims to disrupt Pakistan-China relations and prevent China from gaining stable access to Gwadar or Karachi, key points for transporting goods between Pakistan and Kashgar. This region is also where Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav was apprehended, where the Balochistan Liberation Army attacks Pakistani security infrastructure, and where the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan continues its activities.

Despite these pressing challenges, the Pakistani government has yet to respond with significant force. There has been no announcement of a military operation, no proactive measures to curb militancy, and the situation appears to worsen each day. The loss of life, the damage to foreign investment, and the ongoing instability impact not only Pakistan but also China by extension.

It is not, therefore, perplexing that both Pakistani citizens and international allies are beginning to question why we have not effectively addressed this crisis.