Key Points

“The strategic alliance between Beijing and Islamabad has created a formidable supply chain for advanced military hardware. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s 2025 report, China accounted for 81 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2019 and 2023, totaling approximately $5.28 billion. This partnership extends far beyond traditional weaponry, encompassing dual-use technologies that have found their way into terrorist arsenals across Kashmir," the report in European Times highlighted.

According to the report, the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam underscored the extent of the technological infiltration in the region where security forces seized Huawei satellite phones, Chinese-manufactured GPS devices, body cameras, and encrypted communication systems from the attack site. These recoveries marked a shift from unsophisticated militant operations to coordinated, technology-driven warfare that capitalises on Chinese infrastructure and expertise.

It further mentioned that the cutting-edge network architecture enabled terrorists to coordinate in real-time, while keeping their operations secure. The operational impact, it stated, was visible during Operation Mahadev, when Indian security forces tracked terrorists using signals from a Chinese satellite phone activated in the Baisaran area. However, the elimination of three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives, including the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam attack, highlighted not only technology’s capabilities but also its weaknesses when effectively countered.

China’s engagement, the report detailed, extends beyond hardware to building a comprehensive digital infrastructure. Through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the telecom towers operated by China Mobile Pakistan (Zong) across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir provided digital coverage that reached Indian districts, including Kupwara, Rajouri, Poonch, and Uri. This network, the report said, created multiple layers of operational support for terrorist activities.

It also emphasised that China’s supply of sophisticated communication systems, surveillance capabilities, and weapons technology allowed Pakistan to deny any direct involvement while it escalated the lethality of terrorist operations. The China-Pakistan collaboration has led to several destabilising effects.

"The entrenchment of Chinese technology in Kashmir’s militant ecosystem represents more than a tactical evolution; it constitutes a strategic challenge to Indian sovereignty and regional stability. The China-Pakistan nexus has created a sophisticated support system that enhances terrorist capabilities while maintaining plausible deniability for state sponsors,” the report noted.

- IANS