Balochistan APC tells govt to address CPEC concerns

He stated this while addressing the All-Party Conference (APC) held in Islamabad to take up Balochistan’s reservations over CPEC.

Mir Hasil Bizenjo, chief of National Party, said people of Balochistan were still living in the 17th century with no road networks and other basic amenities. “The rights of natural resources and sea ports of the province should be handed over to Balochistan government”, he demanded.

The APC was attended by key political figures, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Farhatullah Babar, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Liaquat Baloch, PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq, Senate Deputy Chairman and JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, JUI-F’s Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, PML-Q leader Mushahid Hussain, ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Ahmed and others.

The All Parties Conference (APC), hosted here by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal Group (BNP-M), on Sunday expressed reservations about the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and asked Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to fulfill his promises. He said that under CPEC, power projects worth of $11.5 billion is being completed in Sindh while energy projects of $7.1 billion are being completed in Sindh while energy projects worth $6.9 billion are being completed in Punjab.

Refuting a claim of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Iqbal said the K-P Board of Investment has identified industrial zones to the federal government for CPEC.

“Upon its completion”, CSCEC said, “it will greatly improve local transport conditions of the most populous and developed regions in Pakistan, promote local economic development and play a positive role in the interconnection between China and Pakistan”. He said the project will unleash development activities in Pakistan for the benefit of its people. “I’m all in favour of CPEC but first show me my share in all these projects”, Mengal said, adding that such injustices fuelled separatist insurgencies in Balochistan. He said the Western route of the CPEC will be built first.

The speakers emphasized on timely completion of CPEC routes, urging the government to address Balochistan’s reservations over the corridor.

The conference came a day after Beijing expressed the hope that the relevant parties in Pakistan could strengthen communication and coordination on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to create favourable conditions for the CPEC and resolve their differences. The Minister said that work on CPEC is being undertaken with full transparency and the mega project was started on the consensus of Pakistan and China and has grabbed the world’s attention.

He said ‘what is the province, with Gwadar its port city, getting out of the CPEC?’ He said the government had no option but to do justice to run the country’s affairs successfully adding that injustice bred hatred, becoming the main cause of conflicts leading to wars.

CM Khattak talks with Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the APC.