KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said his government was raising a special force to protect the Chinese nationals working on various projects in the province, including those linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“Security of the Chinese working in Sindh is a top priority of my government. Our Chinese friends are involved in projects which are linked to CPEC and other important schemes. We are raising a special force of 2,000 ex-army men for their security,” said Mr Shah during a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by Foreign Ministry Director General for External Security Liu Guangyuan at the CM House. Chinese Consul General Wang Yu accompanied the delegation. The chief minister was assisted by provincial ministers Jam Khan Shoro and Nasir Shah, Principal Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, Energy Secretary Agha Wasif and others.

The meeting was told that within the next few months around 100 Chinese firms would begin functioning in Sindh under CPEC.

Both sides discussed the issues relating to workers’ security and agreed that appropriate steps would be taken in this regard by the provincial authorities.

Mr Shah said the newly recruited 4,000 policemen were being imparted special training by the army and they would also be assigned the security of the Chinese workers of CPEC projects.

The delegation discussed issues pertaining to the security of the Chinese already working in Sindh and those who would arrive in the coming months.

Mr Shah said he had ensured security of every Chinese national working in Sindh, including those involved in non-CPEC and non-governmental projects.

“I have already issued instructions to the police to provide special security to the Chinese working here,” he said, adding that more than 800 Chinese were working on energy projects of Thar and 150 policemen had been deployed for their security.

CM Shah sought the visiting Chinese delegation’s support for including Keti Bandar and Karachi Circular Railway projects in CPEC.

“The prime minister has approved the Keti Bandar project for CPEC and it has been included in the agenda of the coming meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC projects,” he said.

CM Shah said the KCR and the Karachi Special Economic Zone had not been put on the agenda of CPEC, but “I have discussed it with the ambassador of China in Pakistan and he has assured me of his support for this. The federal government also backs it because being one of the largest cities of the world, Karachi has immense returns in the KCR scheme”.

A CM House spokesperson said the delegation assured the chief minister that they would recommend to the Chinese authorities concerned to include KCR, Keti Bandar and special economic zone projects in CPEC.

The chief minister said he would attend the JCC meeting on Dec 29 and would appreciate their support.

Published in Dawn December 24th, 2016