CPEC route: government accused of not taking smaller provinces into confidence

The government has not taken smaller provinces into confidence on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project which has rendered the corridor controversial. Senior leaders of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) have accused the government of not honouring its commitment to the smaller provinces made during an All-Party Conference (APC) on the CPEC.
An APC was convened by the government on May 27, 2015 to develop a consensus on the route after the government was accused of violating the original planned route. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Prime Minister had announced that the western route of the economic corridor will be constructed first and funds for the purpose would be allocated soon.
He also pledged to the parliamentary leaders that all matters regarding the CPEC project will be kept transparent and acknowledged the right of political leaders to bring their reservations forward which, he promised, would be addressed. Former senator and senior leader of Awami National Party Haji Adeel accused the government of violating the promise made at the APC to start work on the western route in the first phase to address the concerns of small provinces. The government has started work on Sukkur-Hyderabad, Havelian-Hasanabadal section in the first phase instead of western route of Zhob-Mogulkot of Balochistan province, he added while talking to Business Recorder exclusively.
He also accused the federal government of excluding Haripur and southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Kohat, Bannu and parts of Balochistan that were part of the original plan of CPEC. "Provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been completely ignored in the 3,000 kilometers long Gwadar-Kashgar route of CPEC to favour the province of Punjab," he added. These steps of the government, he added, have created a sense of deprivation among smaller provinces and this policy can be very harmful for the country.
Adeel vowed that any move to ignore smaller provinces would be resisted, adding that his party would not participate in an APC meeting in future. He also revealed that his party leaders have also met the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan who stated the project would be completed as per the government plan. Senator Taj Haider of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also accused the government of not honouring commitments made with respect to the route.
He added that a special committee constituted by the Senate has prepared a detailed report on this issue which would be presented to the house very soon. Haider said that Gwadar port is still a non-starter and Karachi port and Port Qasim would be used as an alternate. The government Wednesday handed over 650 acres of land to a Chinese company for building and operating the Free Trade Area at Gwadar's deep-sea port. Further, the government is claiming that work on the eastern route is ongoing.