Gwadar (Pakistan): Pakistan’s army chief on Tuesday accused longtime regional rival India of seeking to undermine his country’s $46 billion project to build an economic corridor to transport goods from China’s western regions through the Pakistani deep-water port of Gwadar.
Chief of army staff general Raheel Sharif, speaking at a development conference on the impact of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said the significance of a Pakistan-China economic alliance had ‘raised eyebrows’ in the region.
“In this context, I must highlight that India, our immediate neighbour, has openly challenged this development initiative,” Sharif told the conference in Gwadar.
“I would like to make a special reference to Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) that is blatantly involved in destabilising Pakistan. Let me make it clear that we will not allow anyone to create impediments and turbulence in any part of Pakistan. Therefore, it is important for all to leave behind confrontation and focus on cooperation.”
Indian officials could not be reached for comment late on Tuesday night.
RAW is India’s Research and Analysis Wing, its main external intelligence agency.
Last month, Pakistan said it had detained a suspected Indian spy for RAW in Baluchistan, the south-western Pakistani province where most of the CPEC is taking shape.
India has confirmed that the man is a former Indian navy official but denied that he is a spy. Reuters
