Muzaffarabad, December 16, 2014: Pakistan goes ahead with Chinese projects in PoK defying local resistance, Islamabad selling Pakistan’s natural resources to China without consent of Kashmiris. Notwithstanding India’s objections and International norms to China-backed developmental projects in PoK, Pakistan is going ahead with its plans, including the multi-billion dollar Sino-Pak economic corridor. Chinese strategy vis-à-vis PoK appears to be heading toward gaining tacit control of the region — both militarily and politico-diplomatically. By increasing investments and sponsoring various "development projects" in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of PoK, the activities involving several thousand Chinese personnel belonging to the construction corps of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) seem to point towards an expansionist Chinese geo-strategic agenda in the region. China's Western Highway, also known as the Lhasa-Kashgar/Xinjiang Highway connects Xinjiang to Tibet. From Quilanaldi, the road branches off to the Khunjerab Pass and, subsequently, becomes the Karakoram Highway right up to Gilgit. Pakistan is also selling off mines in the region. Locals are here very angry.
