KP govt's decision to move court over CPEC issue unrealistic: Ahsan Iqbal

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Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said the decision of Khyber Pakthunkwa government to take the issue of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to court was unrealistic as it would create difficulties for the province.

Foreign investment could not be attracted through courts rather such an action would have a negative impact in that regard, he said in a statement.

Iqbal questioned as to why the KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had suddenly taken a U-turn after supporting the mega project at the summit on CPEC held on August 29.

All the provinces were being given equal opportunities in the CPEC, he maintained.

The development minister said through CPEC the under-developed and backward areas would get even more benefit from the mega project.

“The national level project of CPEC should not be used for party politics,” he added.

The KP chief minister had alleged that the federal government was cheating federating units of the country on CPEC project.

He said that CPEC project was conceptually initiated by Mushrraf-led government but when PML-N came into power, it initiated different projects in Punjab keeping the rest of federating units in darkness.

Khattak had claimed that the federal government diverted almost the entire amount of $46 billion to projects in Punjab.

He was of the view that work on western route should be initiated and completed first.

"The KP government won’t allow the proposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to pass through the province if the western route was not made its part," he had said.

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