Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that federal government will face strong resistance if the original route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is changed.
QWP chief expressed these remarks during a press conference at Watan Kor, Peshawar on Tuesday. KP Senior Minister and QWP Provincial Chief Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao and Provincial Minister Anisazeb Tahirkhelvi were also present.
While criticizing Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s statement, Aftab Sherpao said that consensus to construct western route of the CPEC on priority basis was already reached during the All Party Conference (APC) and the government should fulfil its promises. “We appreciate and support this mega project and we want to make it a success as soon as possible. But the federal government seems to be less interested in the western route and that is why federal minister gives such kind of statements in order to make this project controversial,” Aftab Sherpao expressed.
While extending support to provincial government of KP on its stance on CPEC, Aftab Sherpao maintained that CPEC project was matter of life and death for the Pakhtuns and his party would show strong resistance if the federal government ignored militancy-hit areas of KP and FATA. He added that if the western route was built then the dream of the connectivity to link Afghanistan and central Asian countries would come true. “If the incumbents want to make Gwadar operational then it is imperative for them to concentrate on this route and disclose all the transmission lines, power projects and the economic zones as well,” QWP chief asserted.
Aftab Sherpao further said that his party would take part in the upcoming All Parties Conference convened by Jammiat Ulema Islam Chief Maulana Fazal Rehman and Balochistan National Party President Akhtar Mengal. He maintained that CPEC was not just an issue for QWP or any single party. All the political parties including Pakhtun leadership should come on one-point agenda as this mega project will usher in an era of prosperity and development in the Pakhtun belt.
The CPEC has been criticized without any base. Why the CPEC's route just ignores Punjab? Punjab does not have any stake in it? Why it is called the China-Punjab corridor? It is the China-KP corridor? Can you build the CPEC's route by passing Punjab? How could you go through? Punjab does not exist? These are useless and baseless thoughts. All Federating units form part of it and work should carry on simultaneously in different parts of the country.
[…] CPEC a matter of life and death for Pakhtuns, says Sherpao […]
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