Militants Mass Near China’s $1.8 Billion Lifeline in Pakistan

Islamabad and Beijing are negotiating a $1.8 billion deal to rebuild a key stretch of the Karakoram Highway. But as they talk, a militant group is quietly expanding its footprint right along that same route. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an armed Islamist network, has stepped up its presence along the highway’s Thakot-Raikot section. That section is the very segment Pakistan and China plan to realign under the new financing. The Karakoram Highway is a critical artery for China’s economic interests in the region. It links western China to Pakistan’s deep-water ports, forming a vital corridor for trade and energy shipments. The planned realignment aims to shorten the route and make it safer for heavy traffic. The TTP’s increased activity in the area raises fresh questions about the security of that investment. Neither government has publicly commented on the militant buildup or how it might affect the financing talks.