Pakistan to deploy 10,000 army personnel for safety of CPEC workers

ISLAMABAD: In order to ensure security of projects under $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Islamabad is going to apprise Beijing authorities that special security force of 10,000 personnel will be in place and become operational till December this year, The News has learnt.
The 5th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under CPEC between Pakistan and China is scheduled to meet in Karachi from November 9 to 13, 2015 to review implementation on early harvest programme (EHP), scheduled to be completed in first phase till December 2017.
There are 5 major agenda items and one of them is ensuring security of CPEC projects for which Pakistan Army has taken responsibility by placing one Major General as head of the special force to ensure foolproof security. Partially, the security force is in place but for whole Pakistan starting from Gwadar to Karakoram Highway (KKH), it will become operational within next couple of months.
“Pakistan is going to request in the upcoming JCC with Chinese authorities to include establishing of transmission lines along with energy projects and it is yet to see how the Beijing is going to give its response,” the agenda of upcoming JCC available with The News disclosed on Sunday.
Islamabad will also request Beijing for inclusion of Dera Ismail Khan to Sohrab road as dual carriageway under CPEC during the upcoming meeting which will help government resolve controversy over construction of western route in accordance with the desires of certain political forces belonging to KP.
In the upcoming JCC meeting, Pakistan and Chinese delegates will also visit Gwadar during which handing over of over 2,000 acres of land will be given to Free Zone and China’s public sector company COPHCL. Both sides will also sign Master Plan for Gwadar port and ground breaking ceremony for construction of state-of-the-art School in the area. Both sides will also sign framework agreement on water supply project at Gwadar and inclusion of solid waste disposal and sanitation project at Gwadar.
Pakistan and China will also evolve consensus on inclusion of LNG terminal/transmission line project in Gwadar priority category, Gwadar coal power project, social sector projects (vocational and hospital grant status update), making Gwadar port operational and its update plan and Master Plan for Free Zone.
On energy side, the coming JCC will deliberate on Sahiwal power project, Port Qasim power project, Engro Thar Coal project, Hubco power project, SK Hydro project, transmission lines (if possible), adjustment of projects in the priority category and new projects if both sides evolve consensus on any initiative.
For transport sector, the coming JCC will deliberate upon Thakt-Havelian road, Multan-Sukkur motorway section, Gwadar Eastbay Expressway, New Gwadar International Airport, finalisation of Monographic Study on Transport Planning, consensus on CPEC long term plan, minutes of Transport Infrastructure JWG meeting - 13 Aug 2015 and new projects including Basima-Gwadar and dualisation of road DI Khan to Surab. Both sides will discuss long term plan under CPEC in details during the upcoming JCC meeting.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal told on Sunday, that special security force in consultation with Ministry of Interior would be in place till coming December/January in order to ensure security of CPEC projects.
He said that Chinese had agreed to increase power generation from Thar Coal and other projects. “We will ensure checklist to ensure completion of Early Harvest Projects under energy and infrastructure projects till December 2017,” he added.
He said the dualisation of DI Khan to Surab road was part of next agenda of JCC between the two countries that demonstrated sincerity of the incumbent regime to complete western route on priority basis.