QUETTA: Ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) founder Saeed Ahmed Hashmi has said that federal Minister for Planning Khusro Bakhtiar has confirmed that western route is not part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“The apprehensions of the people and political forces of Balochistan have proved to be true after the federal minister’s statement,” Mr Hashmi said while talking to journalists here on Wednesday.

He said if the planning minister’s statement was true then it would be a big injustice with the people of Balochistan.

Mr Hashmi criticised the PML-N government for deceiving the people of the province and said that deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif had taken Meh­mo­od Khan Achakzai, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders to Zhob and told them that he had inaugurated the construction of western route at Mughal Kot.

He said the people and the government of Balochistan had no knowledge about the development projects included in the CPEC.

“Despite passage of about five years the people of the province have witnessed no development project initiated under the CPEC,” Mr Hashmi said, adding nobody knew about the share of Balochistan in the $62 billion project.

He said the CPEC was the last chance to bring prosperity to Balochistan.

The BAP leader urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take steps to satisfy the people of Balochistan in this regard.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2018