PESHAWAR: Representatives of various political parties and civil society organisations have rejected any change in Kashgar-Gwadar economic corridor route and warned to react strongly if the federal government failed to restore the previous plan.

They also urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to support a resolution presented by the opposition parties on the issue to give a message of unity to the federal government in this regard.

They also asked for an end to the bloodshed of Pakhtuns and demanded restoration of sustainable peace in the country.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Gwadar-Kashgar Corridor’ which was held under the aegis of Pakhtunkhwa Ulasi Tehreek (PUT) at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, they asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to avoid policies against the interests of Pakhtuns otherwise the people would rise for their rights.

Politicians ask KP govt to raise the issue with centre

Prominent among the speakers were Awami National Party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, its parliamentary leader in KP Assembly Sardar Hussain Babak, Qaumi Watan Party secretary information Hashim Babar, PUT convener Dr Said Alam Mehsud, Awami Workers Party leader Haider Zaman, ANP-Wali leader Riaz Marwat and civil society activists.

“It is on record that Kalabagh dam plan was disposed of under the ANP pressure and the same will be the stand of the party on the issue of Kashgar-Gwadar economic trade route,” said Mr Hussain. He asked Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl to make their policies clear about the issue so that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could take a unified stand on the issue.

The ANP leader said that his party would soon initiate a process of meetings to bring all the political parties on one platform over this issue of national interest.

About change in the route, he rejected the notion that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not safe, saying that terrorism was a problem of the entire nation and this was the time that all the parties got united against the menace of militancy.

“We have the right to raise our voice against any injustice in this regard and will also convey our reservations to the United Nations,” he warned.

Mr Babak and QWP’s Hashim Babar also opposed the change in Kashgar-Gwadar route and termed it a conspiracy against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its people.

They also asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to play its role, raise the issue with the federal government and fulfil its duties as the people had given mandate to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its coalition partners for the purpose.

Earlier, Mr Mehsud briefed the participants about the significance of the Kashgar-Gwadar corridor and said that all the leaders and civil society organisations should join hands for the rights of people of this region.

He said that any change in the route would be a conspiracy against the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and thus no one would remain silent on this injustice.

He said that thousands of Pakhtuns had lost their lives and properties in the prolonged fight against terrorism, but the federal government did not pay proper attention to support them so far.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2015

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