Disclosure of Supply of Dangerous Chemical Weapons to Pakistan

Recent revelations indicate that China has been supplying Pakistan with dangerous chemical weapons for use against pro-liberation activists and resistance organisations. According to a report published by “Humgaam News,” China has been providing these hazardous chemicals to Pakistan to suppress the Baloch National Freedom Movement, an act that is both illegal and genocidal under international law.

Global media has now picked up the story, reporting how, in early May, customs officials at Katupalli port in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu intercepted a 2560-kg shipment that originated from the Chinese firm, Chengdu Shichen Trading Co. Ltd., and was consigned to Rohail Enterprises, a Rawalpindi-based defence supplier in Pakistan.

The consignment contained Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile (CS gas), a substance transported from Shanghai to Karachi by the Hyundai Shanghai (Cyprus flagship). CS gas is commonly used in riot control. It is regulated as a chemical weapon due to its dual-use (civilian and military) nature, making it particularly sensitive under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

The seizure of the CS gas shipment underscores China’s involvement in global proliferation networks. Beijing has a history of developing dual-use technologies that can be repurposed for civilian and military use, often ignoring international regulations and export controls.

The most alarming aspect of this seizure and subsequent investigation is the potential use of these banned chemicals by Pakistani law enforcement against pro-freedom political forces. This clandestine supply of deadly chemical weapons to Pakistan signifies China’s effort to protect its interests in Balochistan, particularly concerning the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Several CPEC projects in the region face strong resistance from the local Baloch population.

The issue of CS shipments has raised important questions about how China circumvents laws to offload banned goods in Pakistan, acting as a major player in global proliferation networks, particularly for sanctioned states. This incident highlights the extensive cooperation between China and Pakistan, especially in security and counter-insurgency fields, and China’s willingness to assist Pakistan’s law enforcement apparatus even by supplying controlled or banned goods.

European and US agencies are closely monitoring China and Pakistan’s trade of dual-use technology. In one case, Ilya Kahn, a resident of both Brooklyn and Los Angeles, was arrested for his role in a scheme to smuggle semiconductors from the US to businesses linked to the Russian military, involving illegal exports to China and other countries. In April of this year, the US announced sanctions against three Chinese and Belarusian companies supplying missile technology to Pakistan. China remains the largest supplier of weapons and defence equipment for Pakistan’s military modernisation program.

A 2023 report by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution highlights illegal procurement efforts by countries such as Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and Syria, often facilitated by China and Turkey. “This is an old power block re-emerging,” the annual report states. Led by China, Russia and Iran are collaborating in proliferation efforts, with North Korea, Syria, and Pakistan playing subordinate roles. China acts as a global buyer to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia, Iran, North Korea, and, to some extent, Pakistan.

According to the Humgaam News report, this situation provides an opportunity for the Baloch nation and pro-freedom activists to amplify their cause globally, drawing attention to the humanitarian crimes committed by Pakistan and China. The national movement must be fought on multiple fronts, and a key task for Baloch leaders and activists is to align their struggle with broader international interests. These war crimes committed by China and Pakistan justify the Baloch cause and should be highlighted on every global forum, making the intentions of the occupiers clear to the world.