ISLAMABAD: Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Wednesday reassured the Chinese leadership about the security of projects to be built under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the personnel working on the projects.

The assurances were conveyed to Chinese Vice-Minister for Security Dong Haizhou, who met the army chief at GHQ.

The Chinese official discussed the security situation in the region, specifically within Pakistan, and issues about the security of the China-Pakistan Econo-mic Corridor.

“Matters relating to bilateral interest, regional security and security of CPEC came under discussion during the meeting,” the ISPR said in a statement.

The army has already announced that it is raising a 10,000-strong special force for protecting the projects to be carried out under the CPEC and the Chinese workers associated with them.

The new force named ‘Special Security Division’, which would be of the size of a division consisting of nine army battalions and six wings of paramilitary forces — Rangers and Frontier Corps and would be headed by a

two-star general, was announced after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Islamabad in April.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2015

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