No change in CPEC route: Ahsan

While briefing representatives of various political parties about CPEC in Peshawar, Iqbal said that the representatives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the opposition would be included in the committee.

He said that federal minister briefed leaders of the province, however, they were still not satisfied with his explanations.

Ahsan Iqbal said that a committee comprising a senior minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and three secretaries had been constituted to give proposals on the CPEC. “Why $35 billion energy projects are being executed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been completely ignored”, he questioned. He assured the participants of the meeting to remove the reservations of the provincial leadership adding that we can not think of discrimination against any province.

Mr Ghani said that they discussed 13 points raised by the provincial government, however, federal minister’s responses did not satisfy them.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Jan 6 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s corporate friendly environment makes it an attractive destination for investment and invited the Sri Lankan businessmen to explore the opportunities particularly in energy and infrastructure sectors.

He said that the province was being given only a road in the name of CPEC and deprived of industrial zones, electricity schemes and other incentives. He said the federal government considered the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as that of the country and would not do any injustice to the province in any circumstance.

He said that provincial government would adopt other ways if the committee failed to address the province’s concerns regarding the project.

Separately, in a statement, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also termed Ahsan Iqbal’s briefing on CPEC unsatisfactory.

He said that no route was agreed before signing of the CPEC agreement. “All the federal units will be fully benefited from the CPEC project as the Federal government has clear policy to treat all provinces equally and nobody will be deprived of the due rights, the APC decisions in this regard are being implemented in letter and spirit”.

Ahsan Iqbal said that the original master plan of CPEC would be materialised, and no change has been made in the western routes of the umbrella project.

Answering to queries, Ahsan Iqbal said that convening of the All Parties Conference (APC) on CPEC was a major forum instead of taking the issue to the Council of Common Interests (CCI). “The Chinese will invest that amount through IPPs”, he said.