No problem with CPEC route: Bizenjo

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan’s ruling party head and respected Baloch nationalist leader Mir Hasil Bizenjo has said that they neither see nor have any problem with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route.
Talking to The News here on Tuesday, President of the National Party Mir Hasil Bizenjo said that despite his repeated insistence to a few of those talking about change in “original route”, no one has ever come up with the clear-cut explanation as to where and how the route has been changed.
Referring to the all parties’ meeting recently held in Islamabad on the issue, he said that except Asfandyar Khan Wali no one had raised any serious objection. He said Asfandyar was told to explain as to what change has been made and where precisely in the Corridor’s route but there was no answer to this.
“There were Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Sherpao and afew others but except Asfandyar Khan Wali no one else objected to the government’s briefing,” he said, reminding that he has been supporting in the past the voices talking of change in the route.
“Where is the change made?” is the question that Bizenjo said he had placed before quite a few people but received no answer. Regarding Balochistan’s response to the CPEC’s route framework, he said, “We are satisfied and have no problem.”He stressed upon the need of connecting Gawadr Port with different parts of the country to make it a great success. “Connect Gawadr with the whole of Pakistan,” he said.
Bizenjo said that Asfandar Yar Khan Wali had told the political leaders’ meeting, which was presided over by the PM, that by changing the route of the corridor they were being wronged. Wali was asked to precisely explain where the route was changed but the “altered route” could not be identified. Even then, Bizenjo said, the minister for planning Ahsan Iqbal gave his word to Wali that if any change in route was proven he would take full responsibility.
Then Asfanyar Wali raised the issue of industrial parks, which are to be set up along the corridor. Here it was explained that the issue of industrial parks or economic zones has not yet been discussed or planned rather the working group on the subject has not been established so far.
Interestingly a day before Bizenjo spoke to this correspondent, the Project Director China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Maj.Gen.(Retd) Dr. Zahir Shah had stated that there was no official document showing any “original route” which according to ANP has now been altered to the disadvantage of Balochistan and KPK. Shah believed that the talk of “original route” would possibly be the consequence of some misunderstanding but he still asserted that if there was any such “document” available with anyone it could be shared with the parliamentary committee recently constituted by the prime minister to oversee the gigantic project.