The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been announced and being termed a huge success by the incumbent government but an alleged change in its route has stirred an unwanted controversy.
Leaders of various political leaders have demanded to the government to take in confidence to all the political parties on the issue. Former president Asif Ali Zardari called upon the government to come clean on the route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) together with a list of all the developmental projects and the location of economic zones to be set up along the route. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi has expressed reservations on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said that the provinces were not taken on board to build the economic corridor. Ameer of Jamat-e-Islami has said that due to the lack of vision of the ruling party CPEC is heading towards a controversy just like Kalabagh dam and if appropriate measures not taken future of CPEC could be bleak.
ANP central leader Haji Adeel has said on the issue that government changed route of CPEC and neglected areas of KP, Balochistan and Fata with the intention to maximize benefits for the largest province. The cheaper route from western side was being replaced with long and expensive route under CPEC, which will not be allowed.
Initially, government claimed that a baseless propaganda is being spread to politicize much needed development project. Government has pledged to take all the political resources on board. All political parties should have been taken on board at the time of finalization of deals; government should bring the matter into the Parliament to solve a political matter in a decent way. It is the crucial time and we are fighting a war against the monster of terror, political wisdom required to deal with political issues in a decent manner. CPEC can change the fate of region with economic uplift; government must not let this issue become another Kala Bagh dam.