THE government’s decision to establish “Wapda Security Force” is a significant step aimed at protecting Pakistan’s critical water and energy infrastructure as well as those associated with these projects, particularly Chinese engineers and workers. The move has been necessitated by the terrorist attacks on the Dasu Hydropower Project in 2021 and again in 2024, in which several Pakistani and Chinese nationals lost their lives.
Those attacks disrupted work on one of Pakistan’s most important hydropower projects and underscored the need for a dedicated and specialised security arrangement for strategic water sector installations. Given the growing importance of dams, hydropower stations and water infrastructure to Pakistan’s economic future, the government has rightly decided to create a standalone force under the proposed Wapda Security Force Act, 2026. The proposed force will be tasked with providing security to dams, powerhouses, offices, machinery and residential compounds connected with Wapda projects. It will also protect workers travelling to and from project sites and coordinate with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent encroachments, trespassing and terrorist threats in notified areas. Importantly, the force will operate across the country and work alongside the army, Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and local police where necessary. Pakistan’s enemy, as evidenced by attacks on strategic projects, can go to any extent to destabilise the country, obstruct economic progress and sabotage cooperation with friendly nations, particularly China.
The forces hostile to Pakistan clearly understand the importance of water and energy infrastructure to the country’s future and are attempting to strike at these vital arteries. In this context, the creation of the Wapda Security Force is the right move. Major dams, hydropower stations, transmission systems and water projects are not ordinary installations; they are national assets directly linked with economic security, energy stability and public welfare. Their protection requires a permanent, professional and highly coordinated security arrangement rather than temporary or fragmented measures. The decision also reflects Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Chinese nationals working on strategic projects.
China is Pakistan’s most dependable development partner and ensuring the security of Chinese engineers and workers is both a moral obligation and a strategic necessity. Without strong security guarantees, future investment and cooperation could suffer. However, merely creating a force on paper will not be enough. The effectiveness of the Wapda Security Force will depend entirely on how well it is trained, equipped and integrated into the broader national security framework. The force must receive specialised counterterrorism training suited to the difficult terrain and threat environment surrounding many hydropower projects, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Its personnel should be equipped with modern surveillance systems, drones, communication technology, rapid response capabilities and intelligence-sharing mechanisms.
Equally important is professional coordination with intelligence agencies and local communities. Security today is not achieved through checkpoints alone; it requires proactive intelligence gathering, technological monitoring and community engagement to detect threats before they materialise. The force must therefore function as a modern infrastructure protection unit rather than a conventional guard force. The government must also ensure transparency, accountability and professionalism within the new organisation. The personnel of the Wapda Security Force should receive rigorous training on the lines of our defence forces, which have repeatedly demonstrated exceptional professionalism, discipline and operational capability in the most challenging security environment. In fact, the responsibility for training this force should be entrusted to the defence forces. There is no denying that those attempting to derail our progress through violence must be confronted with a comprehensive and determined national policy. The creation of the Wapda Security Force is an important component of that strategy. The force can prove to be a strong shield for the country’s critical infrastructure and an assurance to foreign investors that Pakistan remains committed to safeguarding its future and their investment.
