QUETTA: The provincial president of Awami National Party (ANP), Asghar Khan Achakzai, has criticised the federal government for what he called non-implementation on projects approved for Balochistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said such an attitude would deepen the sense of deprivation among the people of the province.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said that benefits of the CPEC were visible only in Punjab.

“Balochistan is being ignored in the development process and all resources were being diverted towards Punjab,” he said, adding that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz PML-N was giving all of its attention to the development of Punjab because it wanted to win maximum number of seats from that province in the next general elections.

Mr Achakzai said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had made tall promises of initiating development projects in Balochistan under the CPEC, but his promises had not been fulfilled.

Implementation on CPEC projects for province urged

“Work has not been begun so far on development projects announced by Mr Sharif for Balochistan under the CPEC,” the ANP leader said, adding that it was the responsibility of the federal government to ensure implementation on development projects in all the four provinces. He demanded of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to initiate work on projects announced by Mr Sharif.

He expressed concern over increasing incidents of target killing in Quetta and other parts of the province and said the government had failed to protect the life and property of people.

He accused law-enforcement personnel of humiliating people, including women, children and senior citizens, on the pretext of checking and demanded of the government to stop this practice.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2017