PESHAWAR: The lawmakers of PML-N in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have supported the stand of federal government on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and urged other political parties to avoid creating differences over the route of the corridor.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, PML-N parliamentary leader in provincial assembly Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota said that federal government had given to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more than its share in the $46 billion project. All those, who were raising voice against it, were misguiding people, he added.

He asked all political forces in the country to join hands with federal government for successful executing of CPEC project.

Flanked by MPAs Abdul Sattar Khan from Kohistan and Sobia Khan, Mr Nalota said that political point scoring was creating unrest among citizens about the future of the project and its ultimate sufferer would be the country.

“It is a great opportunity to forge unity for making CPEC a fate changer for the entire country,” he said, adding that such type of heavy investment was needed for development of national infrastructure and minimising miseries of the common people.

The MPA said that perception about depriving Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of the benefits of economic corridor was baseless because the province would get more than expectations of its dwellers.

“We are thankful to Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who briefed Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and his cabinet members about their reservations over CPEC roadmap,” he said.

The PML-N leader said that a total of 27 industrial zones would be establishment in all the four provinces and eight of them would be set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Besides, the province had major share in construction of roads, power projects, highways and railway tracks to connect major cities of the country for quick transportation of goods, he added.

The MPA said that under CPEC an international dry port would be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to link Afghanistan and tribal areas to Gwadar.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Sobia Khan said that the sick industries in the province would be revitalised as sufficient electricity could also be generated from the China-funded project to overcome the energy crisis.

She said that federal government was focusing on development of backward provinces. She rejected the impression that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was being ignored. She said that the country would become self-sufficient after execution of the project.

Similarly, Abdul Sattar blamed the provincial government for what he called its failure to plead its case at different forums.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2016