Economic corridor: Imran hits out at govt for ignoring western alignment

Awami Jamhoori Ittehad announces merger with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

SWABI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Sunday exhorted the federal government to focus on constructing the western alignment of the multibillion-rupee China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“It will be injustice with the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa if preference is given to Punjab in the CPEC just to serve the business interests [of the rulers],” Imran said at a huge public gathering in Karnal Sher Kelley of Swabi district on Sunday where the Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Party (AJIP), a coalition partner in the provincial government, announced its merger with the PTI.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government has been accused by the authorities in K-P and Balochistan of favouring the eastern alignment of the CPEC which passes through Sindh and Punjab to link the Gwadar deep seaport to China’s Xinjiang region.



“The federal government is reluctant to surrender the control of electricity transmission to K-P and giving preference to the eastern alignment of the CPEC,” Imran added, as he exhorted the federal government to start work on the western route that passes through K-P.

The PTI chief went on to claim the K-P government, led by the PTI, is also focussing on retrieving public money stolen during previous administrations. “Pakistan’s and Pakhtun’s money was transferred to Dubai and other countries,” he claimed and argued that the K-P Ehtesab Commission was an independent body prosecuting the corrupt.

Expressing his satisfaction at the performance of Chief Minister Parvez Khattak, Imran said that over 70 per cent of industries were shut when the PTI took over, but that situation had improved now with economic and industrial activities picking up.

He recounted how the new government had managed to depoliticise the police and made them people-friendly while a comprehensive strategy had been evolved to combat corruption and malpractices. He claimed the PTI would be a major political force during the next general elections.

“I will not even have to campaign for (general) elections after the current government’s tenure ends,” Imran remarked with an air of confidence as he vowed to replicate success in Punjab and Sindh.

AJIP merges with PTI

Sunday’s rally had been held to mark the merger of the AJIP with the PTI as an AJIP MNA and four MPAs reposed their faith in the PTI chairman.

The party is already a member of the ruling coalition in the province. However, a fifth MPA, Babar Salim Khan, has refused to endorse the merger. Khan, who did not attend Sunday’s rally, had previously been served a show cause notice by senior minister Shahram Taraqai’s uncle, Buland Iqbal.

On the other hand, Khan says he leads the Swabi Qaumi Mahaz, created by his late father Dr Salim. He argued that the SQM was an ally of the AJI, but not a part of it. In addition to Khan, a number of local government councillors and stalwarts from Topi tehsil boycotted Sunday’s rally.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd,  2015.