File photo of Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain. (Agence France-Presse)
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain today criticised India and blamed it for a "shameless propaganda" against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that runs through Pakistan-administered Kashmir and said the government was determined to complete the project.
Mr Hussain "condemned India for its shameless propaganda against the proposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project but urged the people to not overreact on it and stand by the government to rebut it in proper way," Radio Pakistan reported.
"Many other countries also have reservations on this corridor which are baseless and of no value as the government is committed to complete it with all seriousness as the project is of vital importance for the bright future of Pakistan," Mr Hussain said.
Addressing a convocation at the National Defence University in Islamabad, he urged the citizens to stand by the government and armed forces to overcome the challenges being faced by the country.
"Pakistan is fully capable to combat all challenges it is facing with the support of its people and armed forces," he said.
CPEC, the 46 billion-dollar project linking western China to Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea in south of Pakistan, was launched in April when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the country. The corridor is proposed to pass through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which India objects due to the disputed status of the region.