QUETTA: Referring to the Pak-China Economic Cor­ridor project, Balochistan National Party (BNP) Chief Organiser Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said that no mega development project is acceptable without prior approval of the people of the area where it is executed.

He claimed that the federal government had not taken the provincial government into confidence while entering into an agreement with the Chinese government on the economic corridor project.

Know more: Pak-EPA denies clearance to portion of economic corridor

Talking to journalists here on Tuesday after meeting Mir Sadiq Umrani, the president of the Balochistan chapter of the PPP, the BNP leader alleged that the then military ruler Pervez Musharraf had launched a military operation in the province just to start work on the Gwadar seaport.

He said people of Gwadar had been ignored during the process of construction of a seaport in the town therefore “we cannot endorse such development project which violate the rights of indigenous population”.

The BNP leader asserted that since 1948 they were struggling for the ownership of Baloch people over the resources and coast of Balochistan but the “usurpers, instead of accepting the demand, have resorted to violence to quell the political movement for national rights”.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the situation prevailing in the province, he said despite last year’s change in government, the situation had not improved as dumping of bodies, disappearance of people and illegal arrests had continued and the provincial government had failed to redress problems faced by people.

Sadiq Umrani said Balochistan people had reservations over the change being made in the route of the economic corridor.

He was critical of the performance of the provincial government as neither it could curb corruption nor improve law and order situation.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2015

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