KARACHI: A Pakistani high court on Friday sought a response from Pakistani authorities over alleged harassment, extortion and unlawful restrictions on Chinese nationals imposed by police in the southern Sindh province, after a group of six Chinese nationals filed a petition against their alleged mistreatment.
China has become a crucial trade and investment partner for Pakistan since the initiation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2013, under which Beijing has pledged over $60 billion in investment projects in Pakistan. A significant number of private Chinese investors have since arrived and established businesses with local partners in Pakistan.
In Sindh, the provincial government has established a Special Protection Unit (SPU) within the provincial police force to ensure security of Chinese nationals, under threat from separatist groups operating in neighboring Balochistan province which have also carried out attacks on Chinese interests and citizens in Karachi, the commercial hub of the country.
On Friday, a Sindh High Court (SHC) bench, led by Justice KK Aga and Justice Adnan Karim, issued notices to the Sindh government, Pakistani foreign ministry and China’s missions in Pakistan seeking their response within four weeks over alleged police harassment of Chinese nationals, days after the Sindh police suspended an SPU officer after a video of him manhandling a Chinese national went viral online.
“The core of the petition is that despite high-level requests for Chinese investment under CPEC and private initiatives, Chinese nationals involved have been subjected to harassment and corruption upon arrival,” Peer Rehman Mehsud, the petitioners’ lawyer, told Arab News.
“In some cases, families were reportedly confined to their residences for nearly a week, infringing on their right to freedom of movement, as protected under both international and Pakistani law.”
While the Chinese consulate in Karachi and a spokesperson for the Sindh police did not respond to Arab News’ request for comment, the provincial government said it would conduct an inquiry into the allegations.
“The Sindh government is committed to protecting the Chinese nationals and providing them with a safe environment,” Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar told Arab News. “We have taken note of the allegations and will conduct a thorough inquiry.”
Mehsud said the petition, which was initially filed in December by 12 nationals, was accepted on Friday after only six complainants were able to fulfill legal formalities required to appear in court due to restrictions on their movement.
Chinese nationals are forced to pay bribes to police officers ranging from Rs20,000 ($71) to Rs50,000 ($179) for permission to leave their homes, according to the petition. It demanded a high-level inquiry into the involvement of police officers in their mistreatment.
“Recently, officials of Police Station Sukhan [in Karachi] sealed seven industrial units of Chinese nationals without any prior notice,” the petition read.
The complainants stated in the petition that they arrived in Pakistan on invitations from top Pakistani officials, including the prime minister and the army chief, who encouraged them to invest in the South Asian country, assuring their safety and a supportive environment for foreign investors, particularly from China.
They said they relied on these assurances and made significant investments in various sectors, but in the months following their arrival, they and other Chinese nationals had been subjected to harassment by Sindh police. The complainants said their movements were “unjustifiably restricted” and they were often detained at their residences on the pretext of “security reasons.”
The petitioners urged the court to order the respondents to help cease their harassment and restrictions on their movement, seeking compensation for the financial losses incurred by them.