K & P

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: K-P digs deeper to alter course of outcome

Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act on the cards; consensus-building convention on Dec 26

Iftikhar Firdous December 09, 2015

Pakistan-China Economic Corridor PHOTO: FILE

PESHAWAR:

After months of political wrangling with the federal government over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s intended route, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa now plans to pursue a more aggressive stance. And realising this could well be an exercise in futility if attempted alone, the party is mustering support to develop a consensus with other political forces in the province.

A convention will be held in the city on December 26 to develop a consensus on CPEC. Insiders told The Express Tribune on Wednesday, the meeting will be attended by all parliamentary leaders.

K-P accuses Centre of deceitfulness in CPEC planning

Dr Said Alam Mehsud, who heads the Pakhtunkhwa Ulasi Tehreek (PUT) and is also the K-P government’s technical expert on the CPEC. told The Express Tribune a committee of three members will be constituted to look into fund allocations for the Public Sector Development Plan (PSDP), inauguration of projects on the Western route of the CPEC, and whether the federal government will fulfil its promises agreed upon at the all-parties conference (APC) on May 28 this year. The committee is tasked with forging a consensus among political parties in K-P to exert pressure on the federal government.

There are some common concerns which are slated to bring the parties in K-P together. Mehsud explained that the working group proposed in the APC to address the grievances of other provinces has still not been constituted, despite a lapse of seven months. He added even minutes of that particular meeting have not been released.

The Awami National Party and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl were the two main political forces that had initially opposed the Planning Commission’s decision to construct the eastern alignment of the corridor before the western one. However, leaders of both parties were pacified following a meeting with the prime minister during which they were assured of their grievances being addressed.

Most recently, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, whose party has vociferously opposed the change in the corridor’s route, met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and was assured of a six-lane motorway extending from DI Khan. “We believe the premier will fulfil his promise,” said ANP General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain. “They’ve realized it a little late. Govts get informed much sooner than
political parties”.

CPEC takes centre stage at K-P Assembly

For now, the K-P government has decided to contact the National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman and the Chinese ambassador for clarifications. On the legislative front, the provincial government has passed another resolution in the K-P Assembly against the route change. Officials privy to the matter say another more extreme move is also on the cards: to impose Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1984.

The K-P government’s stance is based on arguments presented by the PUT. Briefing parliamentarians in K-P, Dr Mehsud deliberated over the components that make the economic corridor package.

The expert claims that besides a shift in the CPEC route from the Western to the Eastern route, other components, too, have been shifted to the eastern alignment that runs through Punjab. “Initially, there was the [slogan of] ‘one belt, one road’, which focused on the Western route,” argued Mehsud.

K-P censures change in route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

It is only when the corridor’s route shifted to Punjab that terms such as ‘missing links’ and ‘multiple alignments’ were introduced,” he added.

Mehsud’s arguments are not isolated statements. They are supported by documents from the Planning Commission, stressed the expert. In its monographic study of the transport sector, the federal government documents the “new” plan of the eastern route as supported by subsequent fund allocations for PSDPs.

“We do not have a tunnel vision. The economic corridor can only be a game changer if its benefits go to the more underprivileged Baloch, Pashtuns and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan who have been largely ignored in development for the past 68 years,” maintained Dr Mehsud.

Officials say the K-P government has also started drafting a letter to the Centre.

A government official said the letter questions the role of the planning commission.

“The planning commission is the main authority after the 18th Constitutional Amendment,” he said. “However, it is yet to be signed by the chief minister.”

Insiders claim the provincial government intends to question the status of the Planning Commission if it fails to provide answers.

“There is no doubt that we will go to court against the commission,” said an insider.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (5)

Shah KPK | 8 years ago | Reply Dear All, I am from KPK. I need to say a few things before talking about this issue. I consider all of the Pakistan to be my own and no amount of injustice can waiver my love for this country because separation on the basis of race is against Islam. I needed to say this because everytime someone who is not from Punjab raises his voice for his provincial rights; well he is branded a Ghaddar. I woud say that ideally I would make sure that all these routes: Western, Eastern, are completed and inaguarated on the same day. But I have to say that we the ppl from KPK after suffering non stop from the influx of refugess afteR the soviet invasion of Afghanistan n then terror attacks post 911 and with practically not enough agricultural economy need this the most. But PMLN thinks otherwise. And the army which loves taking civillian matters into its own hand does not care even though this issue has all the ingredients to spiral into a clash of federations because the majority of them are from Punjab.

Quettaite | 8 years ago | Reply Well Hamza, Punjab had enough of plundering on the rights of small province on the name of better interest of the Pakistan, whereas about this project, if the route is changed from western to eastern route, it will bypass all the pashtoon areas of balochistan where condition is much stable,yet economically backward, and still have to pass the areas where their is lack security moreover if nato tankers containers and artilleries could pass through balochistan and kpk why not chona toys !! Furthermore china is doing this project to develope his backward areas, secondly to get the shortest route which is western route, and the project was finalised for only western route by china, before pmln government, yet now route has been changed while keeping the province in disguise where planning commission have given many misleading and ever changing statement regarding the corridor that shows their illwill and lack of transparecy, Why this is only PMLN that can see the interest of pakistan yet all other parties and masses from the rest of provinces are unable to see that ; so lets confess that it is not greater interest is not of pakistan but of Punjab, which shareef brother actually represent, they better stop promoting provincialism and hate among provinces !!

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Humza | 8 years ago | Reply @Quettaites: There is preparation afoot for the Western route and we all understand that the Western route is the shortest. That's why the long term plan is to build it too. It will be the preferred route when security returns to Baluchistan. At the same time, the Chinese are investing and they want the project up and running as soon as possible. As an investor, they obviously want their goods going through safe, stable areas where things can get moving in the shortest time. That's the reason for the Eastern route being done because it requires much less work in a safe part of the nation. People need to see the CPEC from the point of view of benefit to the whole nation and not try to unsettle the project due to petty provincialism. This is not about Punjab, Baluchistan or any province since the whole country stands to gain from its development - both the Eastern and Western route.

Quettaites | 8 years ago | Reply Central Government, that looks more as a Government of Punjab, have made this project controversial, yet undoubtedly the shortest, and natural route is Western route going through balochistan and kpk and GB and backward areas of punjab. Every party is against the eastern route because its unfeasible. 1)Unanimous resolution is passed many times by KPK and Balochistan assembly against change in the corridor route. 2)Pashtoons in qta held a rally against the change in corridor on 1st december in Qta. 3)Baloch leader have highlighted many times for ignoring them once again in the said project. 4)Imran khan has highlighted that change in route will weaken the already shackled federation! 5)Syed khursheed shah, the opposition leader, have showed concerns many time for change in corridor, and neglecting the small provinces like balochistan and kpk. 6) Siraj-Ul-Haq from JI, Fazal Ur Rehman, from JUI, Asfandyar from ANP and Usman Khan from PKMAP and all the large and small parties have many times rejected the change in corridor from western to eastern route Yet the PML-N is adamant to build the Eastern route of the Corridor, for unseen reason, for which they are ready to ignore all parties, all provinces, tell lies, and to go to every level!! May they think of our country Pakistan, Instead of Promoting Provincialism and promoting hate among provinces !!

Fahad | 8 years ago | Reply I am from Lahore, but I agree that this project should be used to benefits underprivileged western part of the country. That will not only bring economic harmony but will also help reduce the menace of terrorism. I also hope new planned cities will be developed along the western corridor and we can stop with the senseless conversion of good farmland into housing projects.

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