Asfandyar Wali resists change in economic corridor route

ANP chief asks govt not to make the project controversial, APC declaration says smaller provinces be given rights

QUETTA: Awami National Party’s (ANP) chief maintained on Saturday that the original route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor should not change.

“We welcomed the Chinese president’s visit, and we support Chinese aid to Pakistan,” the ANP chief said addressing an All Party Conference in Quetta.

“But that is not where the problem is. The problem is in Islamabad.”

Addressing Ahsan Iqbal’s statements in which he had said that those who oppose the current route are traitors, the ANP chief said that such statements do not affect him.

“When Pakhtoon and Baloch prosper, is that Pakistan’s prosperity or destruction?” he asked.

Wali pointed out that the Economic Corridor agreement was originally made under the Zardari government in 2012.

“We are not making this issue controversial,” Wali said, adding that the government was making it controversial. He said he had raised some questions with the Prime Minister in the Economic Corridor meeting held in Islamabad earlier this week, but the PM avoided answering those questions.

“Give us the details of the agreement between the federal government and the Balochistan government on Gwadar,” he posed the questions again.

“Tell us how the income from Gwadar will be distributed between the Federal government and the Balochistan government?”

“We have to acquire answers for these questions,” he added.

The APC declaration held that smaller provinces should be give their rights, that Balochistan has first rights over Gawadar and that the Balochistan Assembly’s February 28 resolution be implemented.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khurshid Shah, who was also at the conference, said that the government was creating hurdles in the progress of the Economic Corridor not some political parties as the PM had said.