Ignoring New Delhi’s concerns on the rising presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Beijing has gone ahead and added two more People’s Liberation Army battalions in the region last month. A classified report prepared by Indian intelligence agencies, details of which were obtained by this newspaper, said while one PLA battalion was posted at the Karakoram Highway Upgradation Project, the other was deployed at the crucial rail link project at Khujerab Pass.
Top government sources said it appeared that Chinese troops were posted to provide security to Chinese engineers and technicians working on these two key infrastructure projects. They added that while Chinese soldiers were already present at the project site, their strength had now been augmented.
An estimated 4,000-5,000 PLA men, Chinese engineers and technicians are already said to be in PoK. Indian agencies have been keeping a close watch on Chinese activities in PoK due to India’s strategic interests in the region.
Sources said both the highway and rail projects were extremely important for Pakistan and China as these would increase mobility, boosting cross-border trade and also defence readiness. The highway project is a joint venture between the National Highway Authority of Pakistan and China Road and Bridge Corporation.
A senior Indian official said efforts were on to see “whether Chinese troops are in the region only for security of their workers, or are involved in defence activities too, including constructing bunkers”.