The federal government, on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is going to form a "special security division" (SSD) to provide security to the multibillion dollars projects related to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The move comes on the heels of commercial operationality of Gwadar port, a basic component of CPEC, on Monday when its Chinese port operator, China Overseas Port Holding Company, handled the first private sector containerised cargo in the deep-seaport's eight-year history.
The SSD would comprise military and civilian personnel to be led by a three-star general. A statement issued Tuesday by the ministry of ports and shipping, however, said the "special force" would be consisted of 12,000 "best marines" to make security of the country's seawater invincible. "Not only the sea boundaries only. The SSD is meant to be deployed across Pakistan where and when needed to ensure the security of China Pakistan Economic Corridor," sources privy to the matter told Business Recorder.
They recalled that the formation of the force came in line with the visit of Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to Gwadar last year in April when the former had ordered to plan a civil-military security force for CPEC. "That plan was approved during the Chinese president's [recent] visit to Pakistan," the sources added.
Security has long been a prime concern for foreign investors and companies operating in terrorist-hit Pakistan. And Beijing has every reason to go risk-averse given the past bitter experiences of it having some of its engineers kidnapped and killed by various anti-state elements in Pakistan. "Chinese are investing a huge amount of money in Pakistan and so demand a foolproof security," said the sources.
To this effect, the proposed division, comprising army men, police and other law enforcement agencies, would be mobilised whenever and wherever needed to protect CPEC which, the sources said, was in fact a "composite trade and economic belt" stretching over a vast road, sea and railway route connecting Gwadar district of Balochistan to Khunjerab Pass, Pak-China border. Also, they said, the corridor venture included several power generation projects to be undertaken in an energy-scarce country from sources like solar, coal and whatever was feasible. "CPEC is not a single road but a composite trade and economic belt," the sources explained.
This belt, they said, would cover seaports, airports, railways, pipelines and the whole of Pakistan's existing and potential trade routes. The Chinese whereas have now made Gwadar port commercially operational, the Government of Pakistan also was all out for what the ports ministry said an "expedited completion" of CPEC project. According to a development expert, the National Highway Authority is eyeing 2016 for the completion of Gwadar-Ratodero road project, also called N8 and N85. Main Line 1 (ML1) and Main Line 2 (ML2) was another venture underway to connect the two countries through railways. The two railway lines rest along the left and right side of the Indus River.
On the Chinese part, the expert said, the agenda was regional instead of bilateral as Beijing was fast building road, sea and railway links with its trading partners from Euro-Asia and African regions. About how Gwadar port was doing to cater to Chinese future trading needs, Chairman Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Dostain Khan Jamaldini said the strategically-located deep-seaport had already started handling private commercial cargo.
"Since its' commissioning in 2007 the port had been handling [captive public sector] bulk cargo, mostly wheat and fertilizer," the chairman recalled. Monday's handling of M/v Zi Jingson, which Khan said carried 230 metric tons of fish to Malaysia and China, marked the commercial operationality of Gwadar port. "Exports through Gwadar would double gradually," the GPA chief said. The federal ministry of ports and shipping also made as reference to CPEC and Gwadar port in terms of security measures the PML-N government had taken. "Foolproof security has been ensured at Gwadar port by our government as investment is always contingent upon the best arrangements of security," it said.
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