Pakistan building colony for Chinese in PoK

In an indication of Beijing’s strengthening ties with Islamabad, Pakistan is constructing a colony of about 20 buildings for Chinese workers in Chattar area of occupied Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad district.

The construction, confirmation of which comes ahead of prime minister Manmohan Singh’s Beijing visit in April for a meeting to welcome South Africa into the Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) group, will ensure a permanent footprint for China very close to India.

Highly-placed intelligence sources told DNA the settlement was being built on approximately four acres for Chinese workers involved in construction activities in the region.

Last year, New Delhi had objected to reported presence of 11,000 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China personnel in the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The ministry of external affairs had said it would seek independent verification of PLA soldiers working on a project in the region which would give China rail and road access to the Gulf to transport cargo and oil.

Other reported construction activities in the region include extension of the Karakoram highway to link China’s Xinjiang autonomous province with Pakistan, dams and expressways.

Experts in New Delhi said by increasing presence in the Gilgit-Baltistan area, China was adding to the strategic threats in Leh-Kargil. They said this would necessitate greater attention to development of infrastructure in the sector and a review of New Delhi’s interactions with the nationalist elements in Xinjiang and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Indian Army’s Srinagar-based commanding officer lieutenant general SA Hasnain had last month ruled out any immediate troop cut in the Kashmir valley, saying terror launch pads and camps were still active in PoK.