Won't allow CPEC to be built on "blood of Baloch people": Activist

Adamant on its stand, the Baloch National Movement on Sunday asserted that it would resist the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at any cost as it is a matter of life and death, while urging the world community to come forward and act against Pakistani designs and help the Baloch people.

"Today Nawaz Sharif is going to Gwadar to inaugurate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor once again to appease China for 46 million dollars. We have a clear message to Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani Army and the entire Pakistani establishment that Balochistan belongs to Baloch people. No matter how many innocent civilians you kill, no matter how many innocent political, activists, teachers, doctors, intellectuals and literary persons.you abduct, torture; we will resist the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at any cost. It's the matter of our life and death," Baloch National Movement foreign spokesperson Hammal Haider Baloch told ANI.

Haider said India and the United States must know that Pakistan, which has nefarious designs in Balochistan, is creating and nurturing Islamic religious groups in Balochistan in order to counter the Baloch national movement.

"Yesterday, the ISIS killed more than 50 innocent Baloch people. In the last three months, the same ISIS has killed more than 300 Baloch civilians. ISIS is a ruthless religion, which is not only a threat for ethnic groups like Baloch but also a threat for the world as well. That's why Balochistan is a very sensitive region and the world must should come forward and act against Pakistani designs and help the Baloch people," he added.

Resonating similar sentiments, Baloch Republican Party member Jawad Baloch said, "We strongly condemn the inauguration at the Gwadar Port, which gives official access to China to Baloch land. We request all those ambassadors and foreign guests, who are joining this inauguration ceremony to avoid it because it's built on blood of the Baloch people. This is against the will of the Baloch people."

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will today attend a ceremony to commemorate the first Chinese trade convoy being exported to the Middle East and African countries through the Gwadar Port developed under the controversial CPEC.

The ceremony will be attended by Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and ambassadors of 15 countries.

The proposed CPEC, which is about 3,000-kilometre long, will consist of highways, railways and pipelines that will connect China's Xinjiang province to the rest of the world through the Gwadar port.

Considered to be a part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative, the USD 46 billion CPEC will cover significant parts of Balochistan, Sindh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

India has formally opposed the CPEC because it runs through disputed PoK.