July 26, 2015
News
‘Acutely’ aware of rivals’ campaign against Pak-China corridor: army
* COAS says armed forces ready to pay any price to turn the long cherished dream into reality * Operation Zarb-e-Azb will continue to target all militants
RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif Saturday said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gwadar Port would be built and developed at all costs.
“We are acutely aware of our rivals’ campaign against the corridor project,” the COAS said during his visit to Panjgur and Turbat in Balochistan. The armed forces are ready to pay any price to turn the long cherished dream into reality, he added. Emphasising the importance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the army chief said that the construction of these roads would link Gwadar Port with the rest of the country at Chaman and Indus Highway and yield the real envisioned dividend of the port and corridor project by transforming the lives of the people and bringing prosperity to the region.
While talking to notables of the area, Gen Raheel paid rich tributes to the proud and valiant people of Balochistan and thanked them for their unconditional cooperation and support for these projects, assuring them that they would be best served by these projects.
The COAS said that the potential of Balochistan as a regional hub for trade in goods and energy can only be realized with a whole-of-nation approach. He said that a secure and peaceful environment was necessary to push forward the planned development work.
He lauded the law enforcement agencies for bringing a noticeable change in the overall security situation of the province. He specially commended FC and police for recently conducted successful operations against insurgents who were involved in disruption of law and order in the province.
The COAS said that the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb was not only an operation but a concept for a terror-free Pakistan. It would continue to target all militants without any discrimination and hunt down terrorists anywhere across the country to achieve the end objective, he added.
The COAS inspected a part of road network being constructed by the FWO as part of the CPEC. He appreciated the FWO for their untiring efforts in the construction of such a vast road network across the length and breadth of Balochistan against all odds at such an amazing pace. He paid rich tributes to FWO soldiers for sacrificing their lives and limbs for undertaking this national project.
During briefing, the COAS was apprised that as many as 11 units of FWO have been employed in Balochistan for construction of 870km-long stretch of roads at five different locations simultaneously, out of which 502 kilometres of roads have already been completed in less than one-and-a-half year.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk