'No Chinese military base at Gwadar', says Pakistan

Pakistan had rejected claims that China was establishing a military base near the Gwadar port in the southern Balochistan province.

"There is no proposal of building any Chinese military base near Gwadar. This is all propaganda against the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and strengthening of relations between Pakistan and China," Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal was quoted by PTI.

The nearly USD 50 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It links China's restive Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Balochistan province. India has objected to CPEC as it traverses through PoK.

Responding to a question about India test-firing an interceptor missile, Faisal said Pakistan always maintained that anti-ballistic missile systems entail destabilising effects, especially in the regional context and can provoke an arms race.

"We have proposed several missiles and nuclear restraint measures to India that includes the commitment not to deploy ballistic missile defence systems. Pakistan will continue to follow a policy of restraint and responsibility while taking all necessary measures to ensure our national security," he said.

OneIndia News