CPEC: Govt asked to build western route first

Peshawar: Awami National Party-Wali’s Central General Secretary Aurangzeb Kasi demanded the government construct the western alignment of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor first. He said the western alignment would lead to the prosperity of underdeveloped areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab. A press release said he expressed these views after a meeting with party leader Begum Naseem Wali Khan at Wali Bagh. Both leaders discussed local and foreign issues, terming the Pakistan and Afghanistan re-engagement for the restoration of peace a good omen for the region. Kasi said failure to construct the western route would be tantamount to the economic murder of Pukhtuns and economic terrorism. He added such a move would have negative connotations for the region. He warned rulers to learn from history and avoid repeating the mistakes of East Pakistan.