PESHAWAR: The Kashgar-Gwadar Action Committee on Monday expressed concern about the change in the economic corridor route and announced it would present a memorandum to the visiting Chinese president to apprise him of the sentiments of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata about the change.

The committee comprising representatives of political parties and civil society organisations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata strongly reacted to the change in the Kashgar-Gwadar Economic Corridor route and demanded the immediate restoration of the original route to help overcome terrorism in the province and adjoining tribal regions.

ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Pakhtunkhwa Ulasi Tehreek convener Dr Said Alam Mehsud, Pakistan People’s Party representative Khwaja Yawar Naseer, Qaumi Watan Party provincial information secretary Tariq Khan, SPO regional chief Arshad Haroon, Awami Workers Party leader Haider Zaman, Arbab Sheharyar and other leaders represented the action committee during a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club.

Mian Iftikhar said the federal government had changed the design of Kashgar-Gwadar Economic Corridor and excluded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the $46 billion mega development plan.

“We appreciate investment in our country and welcome Chinese president but hope that he will take notice of the injustices meted out to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

Says will convey KP, Fata reservations to Chinese president

Mian Iftikhar came very hard on federal planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal for what he said constantly changing position on the controversy regarding change in the economic corridor route and accused the minister of telling a lie on the matter.

He demanded that the federal government endorse the resolutions adopted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and all-party conference to restore the original economic corridor plan to remove unrest among the people.

The ANP leader warned that unilateral change in the route would adversely affect the lives of the people and that it would be difficult for China to remove unrest among them in future. He said the original corridor route was via Burhan, Fateh Jang, Mian Wali, Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob and Quetta to Gwadar but the new plan didn’t have Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suggesting ‘Pakhtuns are not part of the country.’

Mian Iftikhar said the government had planned the route via motorway to Karachi coastal highway and Gwadar. He said the new route was not acceptable to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, who would react to the injustice meted out to them.

“We will not accept any change in the trade route and it is duty of the government to implement it with all of its six components to benefit all the provinces,” he said, adding that all political parties and civil society organisations were united to raise voice for the rights of Pakhtuns.

The ANP leader said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata was hit hard by terrorism and that the region’s people rendered matchless sacrifices for restoration of peace.

“If the original Kashgar-Gwadar economic corridor route is not restored, it will be impossible to uproot terrorism in the region,” he said. Mian Iftikhar said Pakhtuns had suffered a lot and deserved to be given special attention otherwise they would take all possible steps to claim rights.

About the next line of action on the matter, he said leaders of different political parties would apprise Chinese president of the people’s sentiments about the route change hoping for early corrective measures.

“We will sit to gather to devise a plan for acceptance of our demands. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is part of the country like other provinces with its people having the same rights like those living in Punjab under the Constitution,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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