Addressing a passing-out parade at the Naval Academy on Saturday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has said that any design against China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be dealt with iron hands and the entire global community endorses security concerns faced by Pakistan.
“We are acutely aware of the enemy’s campaign against the corridor project which has the potential to transforming the lives of region’s people,” Gen Sharif said, adding that Pakistan was willing to cooperate with other countries for peace but will not compromise on national interest. He said the armed forces were ready to pay any price to safeguard national interests, including Kashmir, development of new ports and exploitation of natural resources.
The army chief also said that CPEC was a very crucial project and the enemies were trying to sabotage it. He said the world recognized Pakistan’s security concerns, including ceasefire violations and bloodletting in Balochistan, tribal areas and Karachi. He said the entire nation was resolved to eliminate the menace of terrorism. Operation Zarb-e-Azb is delivering decisive results and terrorists are resorting to desperate actions, he added.
Gen Sharif said the battle against terrorism could not be won by the armed forces alone. It was encouraging to see the entire nation pursuing this national effort with great sense of purpose, he added.