On Thursday, the Chinese, Turkish and Saudi troops joined the Pakistan day parade at Islamabad as a sign of strengthening ties. Armed Chinese forces marched past PM Nawaz Sharif and General Qamar Javed Bajwa as a sign of respect before Pakistan demonstrated their powerful tanks, long range missiles, and other military hardware.
The Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain called this a ‘Historic event’ as the Chinese troops, in the past, have never participated in a foreign country’s parade. Pakistan and China have also planned to begin on building huge infrastructure together. Army from Saudi Arabia, which has been an ally to Pakistan from a long time also took part in the parade. The Turkish military, another Muslim dominated nation, was also part of this parade and strengthened ties with Pakistan in recent years.
The Pakistani officials also said that they consider China an ‘all weather friend’ and have developed an even stronger bond after the initiative of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) worth $57 Billion. This is funded by Beijing and is a network of road, rail, and pipelines that will connect China with Pakistan at the port of Gwadar in the Arabian Sea. This has improved the military ties between two countries, with China urging Pakistan’s military to hold a close watch on CPEC work.
China has also urged Pakistan to control militant activity as they maintained that these Islamic militants have connections with the separatists and extremists of China’s Xinjiang province, which is far west unruly region. The United States of America has also maintained strategic ties with Pakistan and was a fund provider to the Pakistan military. But they have cut off the funds after the Pakistan Army failed to curb Islamic Militants who have been a reason behind severe devastation, not only in their country but also internationally.
