A large number of protesters gathered in Skardu on Monday to protest the exclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

People from ten districts of Gilgit-Baltistan gathered for the second phase of the protests, being organised by the PPP's GB chapter.

The PPP said that that while 439 kilometres of land in Skardu had been acquired by the government for CPEC, Gilgit-Baltistan had not received any share in the project.

Rather, the total investment of $42bn dollars has been directed towards Punjab and other areas, the PPP said.

The protesters further noted that while the chief ministers of all four provinces had accompanied Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his visit to China for the One Belt, One Road forum (OBOR), the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan had not been invited.

They said that the exclusion of the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan from the forum was a sign that the government has adopted exploitative and discriminatory policies in the area.

The prime minister had travelled to China on Friday to participate in the OBOR forum, aimed at regional development through win-win cooperation.

Addressing the plenary session at the forum on Sunday, the prime minister said the CPEC is at the core of China's OBOR initiative, which has fostered inclusion and tolerance in the region.

"CPEC is owned and nurtured by all of Pakistan," the prime minister said during the conference.

On the sidelines of the OBOR summit, Pakistan and China signed six accords of cooperation in diverse fields.