Pakistan force to secure key project

The Pakistan government is putting together a force comprising around 10,000 personnel for security of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), officials said on Saturday.

Pakistan, these officials said, will form a special security force for the $46 billion economic corridor project. Key military departments will train the security personnel.

At least 14,000 Chinese technicians and engineers are working in Pakistan. Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif signed an agreement for $46 billion investment dubbed as CPEC on April 20, 2015.

The corridor will link Gwadar Port to China’s autonomous region of Xinjiang through a vast network of highways. The project has four different routes under construction. Earlier this week, PM Nawaz Sharif inaugurated M8 Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Motorway which has been built under the economic corridor project for Rs 13 billion.

Meanwhile, chairman of the board of investment Miftah Ismail said the speedy work on China-Pakistan Econ-omic Corridor’s western route had been started. He said it is beyond understanding that why some elements are making the issue controversial.