Pakistan

CPEC benefiting only one province will bear negative results: Khursheed Shah

Opposition leader in a letter to premier says eastern route will foster resentment in smaller provinces against Punjab

Web Desk November 13, 2015

PHOTO: PID/FILE

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah in a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his reservations over the preference being given to the eastern route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Calling the initiatives taken on the project as Punjab-centric, Shah in a letter to the premier on Friday said, “Benefiting only one province will bear negative results.”

“CPEC is a life-time opportunity for the country’s progress, however, preference is being given to the eastern route which is longer in comparison to the western route and will foster resentment in the smaller provinces against Punjab,” Shah said.

China calls for improved security for its workers engaged in CPEC

Urging the premier to adhere to the decisions reached at an all-party conference (APC) held over the project in May this year, Shah said, “Some sections have reservations on the project’s implementation and smaller provinces especially Sindh is being purposely neglected.”

The letter further said that priority is being given to the Lahore Abdul Hakeem section in the Lahore-Karachi Motorway project while Hyderabad-Sukkur section has been neglected. “Despite generating 60 per cent revenue of the country, Sindh is not being given due consideration.”

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan had previously warned that the eastern route for the CPEC may foster enmity between provinces. “We should build a shorter and better route of the CPEC instead of opting for the eastern route, which will create resentment in other provinces against the Punjab,” Khan said while addressing his party workers in Lahore on September 30. “The eastern route will end up being a conspiracy against Punjab.”

Pakistan and China had signed an agreement on April 20 this year to commence work on CPEC development projects worth over $46 billion, which comes to roughly 20 per cent of Pakistan’s annual GDP.

Eastern route for CPEC may foster enmity between provinces, warns Imran

The corridor aims to connect Gwadar port in Balochistan to China’s Xinjiang region via a network of highways, railways and pipelines spread over 3,000km. Work on several sections has already started but the entire project is expected to take several years to complete.

COMMENTS (3)

sterry | 9 years ago | Reply @Syed: Funny to say such a thing when the current government has done the most for all the other provinces. Where do you think Gwader is located? Who is building a motorway to connect Karachi to Lahore along the lines of a modern highway? We all know the Chinese are not gifting money -the Chinese are investing in a project. They want it safe and operational as soon as possible in order to help Chinese exports. It is relatively easy to upgrade the route through Eastern Punjab where it is safe. That's why it's so important to complete as soon as possible to satisfy Chinese investors. The shorter Western route going through Baluchistan and KPK has also started but it will take longer. If people look at the big picture, they will see why things are happening the way they are. Not just get worked up about petty provincial rivalry which is the game being instigated by India.

Syed | 9 years ago | Reply Only punjab is pakistan rest do not deserve development.

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