China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to be protected with ‘four-layered’ security plan

ISLAMABAD: China and Pakistan have agreed on a four layer security plan for the more than 3,000 km long trade route that will connect the Gawadar port of Pakistan to China’s north western Xinjiang province.

A senior security official who had attended a meeting in the China last month that,  “We are going for a four-layer plan for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), integrated with a new security policy.”

“An estimated 32,000 security personnel will guard over 14,321 Chinese workers engaged in some 210 small and mega projects in Pakistan.”

He said that, “Before this decision, a three-layer security plan was envisioned.”

The officials added that, “The fresh plan of providing security to Chinese nationals includes over 500 Chinese security personnel for capacity-building of the newly-raised special force as well as local police to better guard the sensitive routes surrounding the port.”

CPEC project director Maj Gen Zahir Shah said, “The Chinese are pretty much satisfied with the new security plan.”

“Baluchistan would get more security, as six wings (5,700 personnel) of the Frontier Corps, 3,000 police constables and 1,000 Levies personnel would guard all the routes, disclosed an official at the Ministry of Interior. He said the Pakistan Marines and the border security forces would also guard the port and its adjacent routes,” according to this plan.

He said that, “More than 3,500 policemen, 900 Rangers, 4,100 private security guards and 740 Askari Guards would protect various projects linked to the economic corridor in Punjab.”

“The military was setting up a special security force (nine battalions) comprising an estimated 12,000 personnel, who would be inducted into the special division to be headed by a serving major general,” he said.

NADRA is evolving a new procedure for ensuring security of the Chinese nationals. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has also suggested registration of Chinese nationals for their security.

An official spokesman for the interior ministry said that, “NADRA would maintain the record of Chinese nationals residing in or visiting Pakistan, and would share its records with all the federal and provincial authorities of the country.”

Hamid Ali Khan, former chief of the NACTA said, “For Pakistan, it is a do-or-die situation.”

PM Nawaz said while addressing a gathering in the Haveli Bahadur Shaha near Jhang, “Although it took almost two years to sort it out but now CPEC is fast progressing.”

Nawaz said, claiming that the three projects will save around Rs570 billion in totals, “Transparency is the hallmark of our government’s projects and we are spending public money with utmost honesty.”

“Now that the IHC’s verdict has been announced we will not waste any more time in providing relief to our farmers,” he said, announcing Rs500, Rs218 and Rs150 price cut on DAP, Nitro-phos and Urea respectively.