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Joint ‘Corridor Front’ set up to claim ‘due’ share of Khyber-Pashtunkhwa in corridor project
PESHAWAR: Various political parties and organisations representing different sections of society on Friday formed a joint forum to work for claiming the ‘rightful’ share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining tribal areas in the multibillion dollars China-Pakistan Corridor project.
The formation of the Joint Corridor Front was announced by Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Tehreek (POT) chairman Dr Said Alam Mehsud during a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club here.
Also in attendance on the occasion were PTI MPA Arif Yousaf, JUI-F’s Haji Jalil Jan, ANP-Wali’s Atifur Rehman Khalil and Pir Fayyaz Ali Shah, QWP’s Faqir Hussain and Kifatullah, Fata Lawyers Forum’s Rahim Shah Afridi, ANP’s Shahab Khattak, Mazdoor Kissan Party’s Amjad Ali, POT’s Nazeef Afridi, and Tariq Afghan.
Dr Said Alam Mehsud, who is also the JCF chairman, said the body had the representatives of political parties, industrialists, traders, transporters, lawyers, teachers, students, social activists and workers as members. 
“This initiative has been made to make strong efforts to pressure the federal government for fulfilling the commitments first made by the federal government during the ‘All-Party Conference and later by planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal on the CPEC project. We’re united to fight for the rights of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.
Dr Mehsud said the JCF members would meet the provincial government, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker, parliamentary leaders, heads of political parties, and representatives of likeminded groups in Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh on the issue, while the schedule of demonstrations would be announced soon.
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining tribal areas were badly affected by the prolonged militancy and therefore, the due share in the CPEC project should be given to them for sustainable peace and development.
The JCF chairman warned that the forum won’t not accept ‘any division in name of the CPEC’s eastern and western routes.’
“We will opt for all constitutional and legal options to get due share of KP and Fata in the economic corridor project,” he said.
Dr Mehsud said the forum won’t allow the federal government to discriminate against Pakhtuns in this regard.
He said the federal government had completely ignored the components and amenities for the western alignment of the $46 billion CPEC project. The JCF chairman alleged that the federal government was continuously deceiving KP on the corridor project.
He said the development schemes identified by the KP government, including circular railway lines from Peshawar to Nowshera, Mardan and Charsadda, a railway track from DI Khan to Peshawar, a motorway from DI Khan to Peshawar and a motorway from Karak to Taxila, should be included in the multi-billion project.
Dr Mehsud said KP didn’t need mere roads and bridges and instead mega projects in electricity, gas, telecommunication and other sectors was required. -Dawn+The Pashtun Times
THE PASHTUN TIMES
