Baloch leader accuses Pak of ignoring province under CPEC

The Balochistan president of Awami National Party (ANP), Asghar Khan Achakzai, has alleged the Pakistan Government of ignoring the province under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying the development process and all resources were being diverted towards Punjab.

"Balochistan is being ignored in the development process and all resources were being diverted towards Punjab," the Dawn quoted Achakzai, as saying, in a conference here on Monday.

He further alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was giving all of its attention to Punjab for the electoral benefit.

Achakzai said the promises made by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of initiating development projects in Balochistan under the CPEC were not fulfilled.

"Work has not been begun so far on development projects announced by Sharif for Balochistan under the CPEC," he said.

The CPEC project comprises a network of railways, roads and pipelines that would connect Pakistan's port city of Gwadar in the province of Balochistan, with the Chinese city of Kashgar in landlocked Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

The human rights activists have, time and again, spoken about and highlighted the growing atrocities of Pakistan on the indigenous people of Balochistan and deteriorating human rights situation as a result of the CPEC.