Daily Times

QUETTA: Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Quetta (WCCI) on Wednesday demanded that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may remove concerns of the Pashtun and Baloch regarding China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Addressing a meeting, WCCI President Mukhtar Fatima said: “CPEC is a game changer project. Itt is our demand that all promises made by PM regarding western route of CPEC be fulfilled.” She said that the government had miserably failed in implementing the National Action Plan (NAP).

The educated segment was targeted in the terror incidents like APS Peshawar, Bacha Khan University and October 24 incidents. Although political and military leadership are on the same page, but the government had failed in implementing NAP in true sense. “If NAP is implemented in letter and spirit, then the law and order situation could be improved.” She said that devastation of young generation was the devastation of entire nation, which was being politicized.

President WCCI Quetta demanded that the government take people into confidence over CPEC, adding that list of industrial zones along this project should be issued so that the share of Baloch and Pashtun be marked. “We have no objection over the development of Punjab under CPEC but our grievances and concerns be removed immediately.”

Senior Vice President WCCI Ambreen Aftab Sheikha said: “We need to be honest with ourselves – that China needed Gwadar and in return we got a multibillion dollar infrastructure, metro line, eastern route and motorways and energy projects that will be focused in particular part of Pakistan.

She also said the large number of power projects under the CPEC in Punjab will have an immense impact on elevating the socio-economic conditions of targeted areas and population, more importantly central and northern Punjab but no such project has been initiated in Balochistan.

She also questioned how will strategic deep-sea ports and an airport change the life of a poverty-hit population district of this province? “