ISLAMABAD, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The China-Pak Friendship Car Rally that initiated from China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region has been warmly welcomed in different areas of Pakistan on its way to the country's garrison city of Rawalpindi, officials said.
According to an official from the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, the rally that entered Pakistan via Khunjrab Pass on Friday was warmly welcomed by the local administration and military personnel.
The rally, comprising 20 cars with 52 people on board, is being held to highlight the significance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Silk Road.
The participants attended a flag hoisting ceremony and national anthem playing ceremony at Sust area of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Local Urdu TV channel Samaa reported that people pelted flowers petals at the rally when it passed through different cities and towns on its route to Rawalpindi and chanted slogans about China-Pak Friendship.
The rally will pass through major cities of Pakistan until its final stop in the country's southwestern port city of Gwadar, however the rally will also pass through Iran and will be concluded in the United Arab Emirates.
"The China-Pak Friendship Car Rally will not only highlight international significance of the CPEC but will also further strengthen existing Sino-Pak relations," the official said.
According to the reports, local administration of Rawalpindi, a sister city of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, is fully prepared to welcome the participants of the rally when they reach on Monday.