Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said that the economic benefits arising from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are similar for both China and Pakistan.
Speaking
during his meeting with a Chinese security delegation in Islamabad,
Iqbal said CPEC has played a significant role in Pakistan's economic
progress in past three years.
He said Pakistan-China relations will further strengthen with the completion of CPEC projects.
Promotion
of security cooperation between the two countries and matters related
to providing security to individuals working on CPEC projects were
discussed during the meeting.
The meeting resolved to further strengthen cooperation between the police forces of Beijing and Islamabad.
"Chinese
workers working on [CPEC] projects within Pakistan is a matter of pride
for us," Iqbal remarked during the discussion. He said Chinese workers
are being provided complete security in Pakistan.
A
Special Security Division (SSD) has been set up to provide security to
Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects, the minister observed.
"Pakistan and China will work together to foil the conspiracies against CPEC," he said.
The minister suggested that Pakistan and China should collaborate to secure the former's western border.
Over
9,000 Chinese nationals are currently working under CPEC in Pakistan,
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed had revealed last month.
The
government has deployed 15,000 military personnel, as part of the SSD
and Maritime Security Force (MSF), to protect projects under the
umbrella of CPEC.
