ISLAMABAD: The leaders of major nationalist political parties of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday announced unconditional support to the game-changing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Previously, the nationalist leaders had expressed reservations over CPEC route and the allocation of funds and had asked the governments of both countries to declare and complete the western route as the official route of the corridor because it was the shortest route between Gwadar Port and China’s special economic zone (SEZ) in Kashgar.
Talking exclusively to media, Balochistan Governor Amanullah Khan Yasinzai, senior leadership of National Party (NP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and others vowed to stand by the consensus on CPEC in line with the spirit of recently-agreed unanimous declaration of joint consultation mechanism (JCM) between political parties of Pakistan and China.
Governor Yasinzai said that JCM was the prime example of a mechanism that political parties should follow to support national issues. Referring to the joint declaration at Beijing conclave hosted by the International Department of Communist Party of China (IDCPC), he said that Chinese minister Song Tao had assured full cooperation for the development of less developed areas of both provinces.
He said that the political consensus would aid in speeding up CPEC projects in both provinces, thus enabling the young skilled workers to benefit from new jobs. He said that there was a need to promote cooperation between the universities of Balochistan and China as it would help build a knowledge-based society in Pakistan’s largest province. He said that he was keen on the establishment of vocational training institutes in Quetta and Gwadar which would help impart modern skills and training on the local youth.
“Chinese authorities have assured us that under the next phase of CPEC, there will be a greater focus on development projects in Balochistan and KP which is good news for our youth,” he said.
