BAJAUR: Jamaat-i-Islami local chapter here on Tuesday criticised the federal government for its plan to drop Bajaur tribal district from the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and announced to organise a multiparty conference on the issue on Sept 20 in the district.

The announcement was made by JI local chapter chief Maulana Waheed Gul while addressing a press conference at Bajaur Press Club here. He said that his party was concerned about the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government’s plan to exclude Bajaur from the CPEC western route.

Accompanied by party leaders, including former MNA Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed and Sardar Khan, Maulana Gul said JI had decided to organise a multiparty moot on Sept 20 in order to mobilise the people on the issue.

The JI leaders said that tribal elders, traders and members of civil society would participate in the event besides leaders of political parties from Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Chitral and Mohmand tribal district to finalise a plan of action on the issue.

They said that the then federal government had promised to include Bajaur in CPEC after merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but it had been dropped from the CPEC western route by the present government.

The JI leaders said that in fact it was a comprehensive project, including industrial zones and other uplift schemes. They said that share in CPEC route was not only vital for development of Bajaur, but it would also help to connect the region with Afghanistan.

Answering a question, the JI leaders said their party had decided to launch a protest movement over the issue, which would begin after the multiparty moot.

They recalled that it was decided at the time of merger that the federal government would allocate Rs100 billion to the merged districts every year for next 10 years, but the plan was yet to be implemented.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2020