Any attempt to obstruct or impede CPEC will be thwarted: Gen Raheel

Pakistan: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan and China have a common enemy and we will defeat it jointly. 

He expressed his views at the grand reception hosted by Chinese military attaché Major General Qi Huajun on the 88th anniversary of the PLA here in Islamabad. The army chief, who was chief guest, said the people of China rendered great sacrifices for their country.

“Pak Army and PLA form edifice of our strategic relations. Together we can defeat the nefarious designs of the enemy. Eliminating the East Turkistan Independence Movement (ETIM) is its manifestation.,” he said adding, “Our friendship will further grow in these testing times.”

The army chief said that Pakistan and China enjoyed strong cordial relations, adding that “our friendship will grow stronger in these testing times. We will defeat nefarious designs of forces detrimental to us. The PLA is one of the best armies of the world."

Commenting on the strategically important, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the army chief said the project would benefit the entire region, adding that the corridor was being developed at full speed.

“I reiterate our resolve that any attempt to obstruct or impede this project will be thwarted at all costs,” he noted. The army chief said that the economic corridor project would maximize dividends of geo-strategic locations.

CPEC has emerged as one of the key strategic development project in the region and holds the key for Pakistan to transform its precarious-looking economic profile. For Pakistan to maintain a credible deterrence against arch rival India, an economic turn-around remains a strategic requirement. This is why Pakistani leadership is aggressively pursuing this project. Last year, Indian defense budget surpassed Pakistan's total annual spending. This is where CPEC is going to play a significant role in uplifting Pakistan's economy.