The establishment of the special troops also reiterates Islamabad’s commitment in protecting the China-Pakistan corridor. (Photo : Getty Images)
Syed Tariq Fatemi, a visiting senior Pakistani diplomat, announced on Wednesday, Feb. 3, that Islamabad will help protect the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor by setting up a special force of 10,000 troops, according to a report by China Daily.
The move, according to Fatemi, is an answer toward China's security concerns over the increasing number of Chinese people involved in projects in the country.
According to China Daily, there are about 14,000 engineers and technicians involved in over 200 projects in Pakistan.
"We have decided to create a special force of highly trained military people who will be specially equipped and will have special organizations in concerned ministries backing them," said Fatemi, who acts as the special assistant to Pakistan's prime minister of foreign affairs.
"Their task will be to provide the necessary safety and security of Chinese working in Pakistan and the Chinese companies and industries set up there," Fatemi added.
The establishment of the special troops also reiterates Islamabad's commitment in protecting the China-Pakistan corridor, said Fatemi. Consultations with China will be regularly held to address problems in a timely manner.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC is a $46-billion project that aims to expand Pakistan's infrastructure by linking China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's Gwadar, a port city. The two cities will be linked by a series of highways and railways.
Fatemi also cleared up that there is little controversy in Pakistan regarding the different routes of the CPEC. Earlier this year, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also addressed such concerns by meeting with different parties.
According to various Chinese sources, political parties in Pakistan were having disputes on whether the focus should be shifted to the construction of the eastern or the western route.
A consensus has been reached, however, settling with the construction of the western route on a priority basis.
"Of course, all political parties want to push their agenda, all political leaders have their ideas, but everyone was fully supportive of this project at the end of the meeting and everyone was deeply appreciative of China's assistance in undertaking this massive transformation, which, according to experts, is going to bring about a win-win situation for nearly six billion people in the region," said Fatemi.
