Government not willing to budge
Both the opposition parties and the army are at loggerheads with the government over their lack of inclusion in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Two wings of the special security divisions (SSD), namely SSD- North and SSD-South are part of the security plan for CPEC out of which SSD-North has already been established but the final nod for SSD-South is still pending.
The delay is the result of the government’s unwillingness to give the army control of the civilian law enforcement that will be deployed there. The army argues that the sensitivity of the area requires military presence which also reflects in the terms of reference (ToR) the army has given to the government.
The end result is a delay in providing security that leaves southern provinces vulnerable to security threats. 44 men of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) have already been killed due to lack of security in Baluchistan. It would hence be in the best interest of the project that both parties find some middle ground over the ToR soon.
Opposition parties from KP and Baluchistan, through which the western route will pass, feel that the promises made to them have been broken. The Awami National Party (ANP) has reiterated its claim that the Eastern route is being given preference over the Western route. The finance minister for KP Muzaffar Said, fed up with the government’s reluctance to address their concerns, has decided to contact the Chinese directly.
Nawaz Sharif is playing CPEC quite close to the chest. The pace of development is faster Punjab while concerns expressed by opposition parties fall on deaf ears. This is certainly not the way to run things. The Chinese have already expressed their concerns over the timeline of the projects; they will not be very forgiving if these issues are not resolved quickly and amicably.
Criticism from the opposition is valid. CPEC is a national project whereby all provinces should be involved in the decision making process. Otherwise the lack of trust will remain which will compromise the project and deadlines will be missed.
All those people from Pakistan, who are advocating for Kashmir to be freed, I want to ask five questions, as under:
1. Why you attacked Kashmir in 1947 & 1948 by breaching the stand still agreement signed with Maharaja Hari Singh the ruler of Kashmir.
2. Why you didn't followed UN resolution of vacating your forces out of Kashmir (http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unmogip/documents.shtml)
3. Why you accedded 5000 sq. km of Kashmiri land to China.
4. Have you taken consent from Kashmiri people, before starting KKH and CEPC passing from Kashmir.
5. Why you are still maintaining Pakistan Army to illegally occupy Kashmir.
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