Angry mob demands arrest of Chinese worker accused of blasphemy in Barseen, Kohistan

On April 16, a Chinese engineer at a power project in Kohistan, northern Pakistan, was arrested on the charge of blasphemy. According to Pakistani media reports, which made their way into Chinese media within a few days, angry protestors came onto the streets of Barseen city demanding his arrest. The Chinese workers’ dormitories were reportedly “pelted with stones” and local police resorted to firing shots in the air in order to disperse the crowds.

According to reports circulated on Weibo on April 18, the engineer, surnamed Tian, works at the Dasu hydropower project, which is being funded by the World Bank and constructed by China’s Gezhouba Group. He is accused of having criticized two drivers for spending too much time praying. Official complaints were reportedly raised and, rumors quickly circulating, led to “hundreds” of protestors coming out on the streets. Some reports suggested that the arrest may have been made as much for the engineer’s own safety as for the alleged crime – in 2021 a Sri Lankan factory manager was killed by an angry mob on the back of similar allegations.

The incident comes after years of attempts and promises from the Pakistani side – under diplomatic pressure – to improve the security situation of Chinese nationals in the country (see point 19 of the two countries’ most recent joint statement from Nov last year, for example). The accusation made against engineer Tian, whether true or not, certainly holds the potential to erode people-to-people trust in China and Pakistan’s diplomatic “iron brotherhood”. Last year the port of Gwadar in the south of the country saw major anti-China protests and demands for Chinese workers to leave town. Both sides will be keen to avoid a cycle of animosity between Chinese workers and local communities, which could worsen the security situation and add obstacles to the completion of projects.

For its part, the Chinese embassy was publicly silent on the incident. Instead, its Twitter page was filled with information on Chinese state owned companies’ food donations and community engagement on Eid. The concerted messaging is an indicator that the embassy cares about the reputation of Chinese companies in Pakistan.

While the actions of one individual are not representative of the whole Chinese corporate presence in Pakistan, Chinese companies do have a reputation for cultural and social insensitivity. Learning how to better navigate cultural differences – and to avoid blatantly inflammatory offenses such as the alleged blasphemy in Pakistan – is a learning curve that state owned enterprises, many of which now operate in all corners of the world, need to pick up on fast.