‘RAW trying to sabotage CPEC’

Upping the ante against India, Pakistan has claimed that spy agency RAW is running a “special cell” to sabotage the multi-billion-dollar China-backed CPEC project.

Defence secretary Lt.-Gen. (Retd) Alam Khattak told the Senate Standing Committee on Defence Wednesday that RAW had set up a “special cell” to sabotage the ambitious China-Pakistan Econo-mic Corridor.

Mr Khattak said this during an in-camera briefing to the committee on RAW’s alleged involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan.

His statement came a day after Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif accused India of openly challenging the CPEC and blamed the country for “destabilising” Pakistan.

A member of the committee said the defence secretary told the meeting that Indian consulates in Afghanistan were providing money, weapons, training and other logistic support to RAW agents for carrying out subversive activities in Pakistan.

The Senate panel was also informed that RAW was closely coordinating with Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) for “anti-Pakistan activities”.

Mr Sharif had said RAW was “blatantly” involved in destabilising the country adding that Pakistan will not allow “hostile intelligence agencies” to create unrest.

Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani ex-diplomat has claimed that India will not make it to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as China will oppose its membership despite the US backing India’s bid.

The Dawn quoted Mr Zamir Akram, Pakistan’s former permanent representative at the UN in Geneva and envoy at the conference on disarmament, as saying that the “chances of India gaining entry into NSG are virtually nil”.