China's Vice FM visits GHQ, meets CJCSC

RAWALPINDI: China’s Vice Foreign Minister (FM) Sun Weidong on Monday visited General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and held a meeting with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, ARY News reported quoting military’s media wing.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations, matter pertaining to bilateral defense cooperation, regional and international security issues were discussed during the meeting between Chinese Vice FM and CJCSC Gen Sahir Shamshad.

Earlier in the day, China acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts towards regional peace and stability and also conveyed its satisfaction on security arrangements for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

The acknowledgment came during a meeting between China’s Vice Foreign Minister (FM) Sun Weidong and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarter (GHQ).

The Chinese Vice FM’s visit came after after Pakistan struck terrorist hideouts in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, less than 48 hours after Iran violated its airspace.

According to a statement issued by the military’s media affairs wing, “hideouts used by terrorist organisations namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)” were struck in an intelligence-based operation codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’.

“The targeted hideouts were being used by notorious terrorists including Dosta alias Chairman, Bajjar alias Soghat, Sahil alias Shafaq, Asghar alias Basham and Wazir alias Wazi, amongst others,” it added.

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Pakistan Armed Forces remain in a perpetual state of readiness to ensure safety of Pakistan citizens against acts of terrorism, ISPR added.

Meanwhile, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that nine people were killed in the attack targeting a village in the city of Saravan, with Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi saying all the dead “were foreign nationals”.