Pakistan claims India may attack CPEC installations, puts Gilgit-Baltistan's Home Department on high alert

Islamabad: India plans to attack installations along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to sabotage the multi-billion dollar mega project, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has claimed. The Ministry, in a letter to Gilgit-Baltistan’s Home Department warned of possible terrorist attacks on the CPEC route, including bridges at Karakoram Highway and other important points. It issued directives for making foolproof security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident, Dawn online reported on Monday. An official of the Home Department said that the letter claimed that “India had sent 400 Muslim youngsters to Afghanistan for receiving training to be able to carry out attacks”. The Gilgit-Baltistan government said it enhanced security on the CPEC route, including two dozen bridges built on Karakoram Highway from Khunjerab Pass to Diamer district. [caption id=“attachment_3886433” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty Images[/caption] Police officials said the movements of foreigners in Gilgit-Baltistan would be monitored and their documents would be verified. The letter said that police personnel deputed for the security of bridges at Karakoram Highway needed to be put on high alert. It said that local police officers should conduct combing operations, supervise checking at vulnerable points, hotels and guest houses. The project, a key artery of Beijing’s mega Belt and Road initiative, has caused much friction between India and China over the past few years. The CPEC links China’s Kashgar in Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port in Balochistan through a network of roads, railways and highways. India strongly objects to the route of the corridor, which goes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir.