‘Make western route integral part of CPEC’

K-P CM says govt’s actions suggest it is not honouring its pledge

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkwa Pervaiz Khattak asked the federal government on Monday to declare the western route of the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as an integral part of the project.

Raising the issue at the All Parties Conference, the K-P chief  minister said that the premier had agreed to give the western route of the corridor priority but unfortunately the government’s actions suggested otherwise.



“If the prime minister does not stand up to his words it will be a violation of the commitment made at the APC,” Khattak said.

He urged the federal government to work on the western route of the CPEC stating that if the western route is ignored it will not only affect the larger aim of building the economic corridor but will also be against national unity.



Khattak said the dubious actions of the government were casting doubts on its intentions on building the western route of CPEC.

“If the western route is not declared part of the CPEC, it would be right to convene an All Parties Conference to form a united front for making the western route the part of CPEC,” he said, adding that the government should unequivocally announce its intent to build the western route of CPEC.



The chief minister argued that the western route was of strategic importance to the provinces of K-P and Balochistan who were major stakeholders in the project.

He stated that if the government failed to keep its word the provincial government would protest against it.

Khattak further stated that the government should convene an All Parties Conference on the issue to take all the parties on board otherwise the provincial government would convene a conference to decide on its future course of action, he added.

The chief minister said that the federal government approved a link of motorway from Jhand to Kohat and a rail track from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan. “The federal government should make allocation of resources for these projects which had been reflected in the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP),” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2016.