ISLAMABAD, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday visited the Headquarters of Special Security Division (SSD) responsible for security of Chinese on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and non-CPEC projects.
The army chief reiterated Pakistani Army's commitment to ensure security for the CPEC and the work force involved. He emphasized on the value Pakistan attaches to the Chinese help and assistance extended in making this projects a success.
General Bajwa was given a detailed briefing on Integrated Security Mechanism led by the Special Security Division, a statement from the army's Inter-Services Public Relations said.
"Army is fully aware of hostile agenda against the CPEC and vowed that the security forces are fully prepared to defeat their design," the army chief said.
He appreciated the SSD for their state of preparedness and arrangements for execution of the assigned mission and tasks.
In January the government launched a special division for the security of the CPEC.
The security division, assigned with the duty of protecting projects under the CPEC and the Chinese workers, comprises of nine army battalions and six civil wings having nearly 13,700 personnel.
Pakistan's southern Sindh province also plans to raise a special force for the CPEC. A force comprising of 1,000 retired soldiers of Pakistan Army for security of the CPEC will be part of the force, according to provincial Advisor Maula Bakhsh Chandio.
The Chinese authorities had agreed in December last year to include projects relating to a railway service in Karachi, development of a port in Thatta district near Karachi and setting up of a special economic zone in the CPEC.
The agreement reached during the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on the CPEC held in Beijing. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah led a government delegation at the meeting.
