Kashgar-Gwadar corridor: Resolution passed against ‘diverting’ Pak-China route
Comes on back of federal minister’s clarification about three-pronged corridor.
The resolution asked the Centre to not alter the original route agreed by both China and Pakistan at the start of the project. CREATIVE COMMONS
PESHAWAR:
Over the past few weeks, lawmakers and businessmen from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have raised a hue and cry over the alleged diversion of the Pak-China, Kashgar-Gwadar trade route from Pukhtun-dominated areas to Punjab. On Friday, lawmakers of the K-P Assembly dug in their heels and passed a unanimous resolution which demanded the federal government refrain from making any changes to the ‘original’ route.
On the same day, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal stated no changes have been made in the original plan.
At a press conference in Islamabad at 11:30am—some four hours before the K-P Assembly session—Iqbal said the corridor does not consist of one route; three indicative routes have been identified. The federal minister clarified the eastern, western and central routes will each lead to Gwadar.
Nonetheless, the resolution was jointly moved at the K-P Assembly by the opposition and treasury benches and was signed by opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, QWP Parliamentary Leader Sikandar Sherpao, ANP Parliamentary Leader Sardar Hussain Babak, Syed Jaffer Shah, PML-N Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha, JI’s Malik Behram, PPP’s Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, AJIP leader and senior minister Shahram Tarakai and JUI-F ‘s Mufti Fazal Ghafoor.
The resolution asked the Centre to not alter the original route agreed by both China and Pakistan at the start of the project.
It read that Pakistan and China had proposed a practical route for this corridor—linking Kashgar through the Silk Route, Abbottabad, DI Khan, Mianwali and Zhob to Gawadar. “This trade corridor will have a positive economic impact in the underdeveloped areas of Fata, K-P, Balochistan and Punjab,” stated the resolution.
The house asked the federal government to start the project urgently, without changing its route. Anything else would be injustice with the war-torn region, it concluded.
Bilateral trade
Sherpao told the house on Friday the development of K-P, Fata and Balochistan was tied to the Kashgar-Gwadar corridor.
“Pak-China bilateral trade jumped by 124%, from $4.1 billion to $9.2 billion between 2006 and 2013,” said Sherpao.
He said the Kashgar-Gwadar corridor was not a stand-alone road; it contained railways, highways, fibre optics, oil and gas pipelines and economic opportunity (industrial) zones, all of which will benefit billions of people. “Oil and gas pipelines from Gwadar to China can bring $100 million in transit fees alone.”
The QWP provincial leader added the “original western corridor” was shortest when compared to the eastern route which will pass through Punjab. He said the Islamabad-Lahore leg of the proposed eastern side was not feasible for at least three months in winter due to heavy fog. A change in plans will only increase the sense of deprivation among Pukhtuns and should be avoided, said Sherpao.
All about miles and metres
According to Babak, the western route will reduce the distance along the trade corridor by 653 kilometres as compared to the Punjab-oriented one. Babak added K-P was worried the federal government is changing routes.
He asked the PTI chief to raise this issue and said if the party stages a sit-in on this issue, ANP will participate in the dharna.
The house later unanimously adopted the resolution.
The house also passed two other resolutions; one condemning France over the publication of blasphemous caricatures and the other demanding the Hilal-e-Istaqlal award for the people of K-P for their bravery in the war on terror.
The session was later adjourned till Monday afternoon.
Rifts within PTI
PTI’s disgruntled law makers accused Adviser to the CM on Prisons Malik Qasim Khattak and Special Assistant for Environment Isthiaq Urmar of illegally appointing over 700 people on class IV posts in their respect departments.
The MPAs tried to raise the issue on the floor of the house, but were asked to wait till Babak finished discussing the Kashgar-Gwadar route. However, Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the session after passing the resolutions.
Later, talking to reporters at the assembly, PTI’s Mehmood Jan accused Khattak and Urmar of making illegal appointments. He alleged 780 class IV employees were inducted into the prisons department at the orders of Qasim, whom he accused of doing an “easy-load”.
MPA Qurban Ali Khan said, “There are black sheep amongst the PTI ranks, who are damaging the party.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2015.
Over the past few weeks, lawmakers and businessmen from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have raised a hue and cry over the alleged diversion of the Pak-China, Kashgar-Gwadar trade route from Pukhtun-dominated areas to Punjab. On Friday, lawmakers of the K-P Assembly dug in their heels and passed a unanimous resolution which demanded the federal government refrain from making any changes to the ‘original’ route.
On the same day, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal stated no changes have been made in the original plan.
At a press conference in Islamabad at 11:30am—some four hours before the K-P Assembly session—Iqbal said the corridor does not consist of one route; three indicative routes have been identified. The federal minister clarified the eastern, western and central routes will each lead to Gwadar.
Nonetheless, the resolution was jointly moved at the K-P Assembly by the opposition and treasury benches and was signed by opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, QWP Parliamentary Leader Sikandar Sherpao, ANP Parliamentary Leader Sardar Hussain Babak, Syed Jaffer Shah, PML-N Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha, JI’s Malik Behram, PPP’s Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, AJIP leader and senior minister Shahram Tarakai and JUI-F ‘s Mufti Fazal Ghafoor.
The resolution asked the Centre to not alter the original route agreed by both China and Pakistan at the start of the project.
It read that Pakistan and China had proposed a practical route for this corridor—linking Kashgar through the Silk Route, Abbottabad, DI Khan, Mianwali and Zhob to Gawadar. “This trade corridor will have a positive economic impact in the underdeveloped areas of Fata, K-P, Balochistan and Punjab,” stated the resolution.
The house asked the federal government to start the project urgently, without changing its route. Anything else would be injustice with the war-torn region, it concluded.
Bilateral trade
Sherpao told the house on Friday the development of K-P, Fata and Balochistan was tied to the Kashgar-Gwadar corridor.
“Pak-China bilateral trade jumped by 124%, from $4.1 billion to $9.2 billion between 2006 and 2013,” said Sherpao.
He said the Kashgar-Gwadar corridor was not a stand-alone road; it contained railways, highways, fibre optics, oil and gas pipelines and economic opportunity (industrial) zones, all of which will benefit billions of people. “Oil and gas pipelines from Gwadar to China can bring $100 million in transit fees alone.”
The QWP provincial leader added the “original western corridor” was shortest when compared to the eastern route which will pass through Punjab. He said the Islamabad-Lahore leg of the proposed eastern side was not feasible for at least three months in winter due to heavy fog. A change in plans will only increase the sense of deprivation among Pukhtuns and should be avoided, said Sherpao.
All about miles and metres
According to Babak, the western route will reduce the distance along the trade corridor by 653 kilometres as compared to the Punjab-oriented one. Babak added K-P was worried the federal government is changing routes.
He asked the PTI chief to raise this issue and said if the party stages a sit-in on this issue, ANP will participate in the dharna.
The house later unanimously adopted the resolution.
The house also passed two other resolutions; one condemning France over the publication of blasphemous caricatures and the other demanding the Hilal-e-Istaqlal award for the people of K-P for their bravery in the war on terror.
The session was later adjourned till Monday afternoon.
Rifts within PTI
PTI’s disgruntled law makers accused Adviser to the CM on Prisons Malik Qasim Khattak and Special Assistant for Environment Isthiaq Urmar of illegally appointing over 700 people on class IV posts in their respect departments.
The MPAs tried to raise the issue on the floor of the house, but were asked to wait till Babak finished discussing the Kashgar-Gwadar route. However, Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the session after passing the resolutions.
Later, talking to reporters at the assembly, PTI’s Mehmood Jan accused Khattak and Urmar of making illegal appointments. He alleged 780 class IV employees were inducted into the prisons department at the orders of Qasim, whom he accused of doing an “easy-load”.
MPA Qurban Ali Khan said, “There are black sheep amongst the PTI ranks, who are damaging the party.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2015.