Opposition to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 'Not Directed Against Beijing'

Pakistan's opposition party Movement for Justice (PTI) is at odds with Islamabad over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, but its ire is not directed against Beijing, PTI chairman Imran Khan was quoted by the Chinese newspaper Global Times as saying.

The Chinese newspaper Global Times quoted Imran Khan, head of Pakistan's Movement for Justice Party (PTI), as saying that the spat between the PTI and Pakistani authorities over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not directed against Beijing.

Khan's statement came after Pakistan's opposition activists expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Pakistan's Punjab Province gets the greatest benefit from this project, while the interests of the other provinces are sacrificed.

Khan, for his part, heaped praise on the CPEC project, which he said would change the destiny of Pakistan's future generations.

China to pump even more money into Pakistan for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor https://t.co/4JUfiHjB3v via @TOIWorld pic.twitter.com/kZyy8w1RY8

— Times of India (@timesofindia) 27 декабря 2016 г.

"Friendship between China and Pakistan has passed the test of time. As for the CPEC, it provides a unique opportunity for the development of the underdeveloped areas of Pakistan," according to Khan.

At the same time, he pointed to the fact that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northernmost province of Pakistan, failed to get a proper share of the benefits from the CPEC project.

#CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor #Hazara Motorway Under Construction near #Qalandarabad #KPK Pakistan pic.twitter.com/nistMkMqyx

— ®Akhtar Sagar® (@akhtarsagar44) 26 декабря 2016 г.

China plans to invest more than 50 billion dollars in this project, which aims to facilitate trade along an overland route from Kashgar in China to the port of Gwadar in Pakistan, via a network of highways, railways and pipelines. The CPEC is in fact an extension of China's One Belt, One Road project.

In an interview with Sputnik China, Sergey Kamenev, an expert from the Institute of Oriental Studies with the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed to Khan's unfriendly ties with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who heads the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party. Kamenev also warned against politicizing the CPEC project.

Speedy work on #Hazara Motorway (E-35) is under process.70% work on first 3 phases is completed.
China Pakistan Economic Corridor #CPEC pic.twitter.com/KBXJiXOZOr

— Mansoor A.Qureshi (@MansoorAhmedQu2) 15 декабря 2016 г.

"Khan has repeatedly criticized Sharif, trying to link politics with the economy and citing the opposition's political standoff with authorities. However, the criticism cannot be justified and these economic rather than political contradictions can be resolved," Kamenev said.

He added that Khan's party is trying to use economic contradictions as a pretext for accusing the Pakistani government of discriminating against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

"In fact, there is no discrimination. Opposition will be opposition. Politics does not play a major role in laying the CPEC, with Prime Minister Shari trying to find a compromise. He chairs an economic council which supervises the project and which includes opposition leaders. The route of the corridor is not Sharif's personal decision," Kamenev added.

He also drew attention to the fact that Khan's differences with Islamabad over the CPEC project are not directed against Beijing. 

Railway Line for Coal Transportation under construction at 1320 Megawatts Sahiwal Power Plant as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. pic.twitter.com/YnfMBVVeT7

— Emerging Pakistan (@dev9_) 14 декабря 2016 г.

"Of course, these discrepancies are not directed against China, which contributes greatly to the project's development. China is going to invest a whopping 55 billion dollars in the Pakistani economy. Everyone, including Pakistan's opposition parties, is interested in Chinese investments," Kamenev said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Foreign Office has conveyed its concerns to China and Pakistan over the CPEC's proposed path through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which "violates India's sovereignty."

Hazara Motorway under construction as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor #CPEC @defencepk pic.twitter.com/Bbu7KawKpa

— Emerging Pakistan (@dev9_) 14 декабря 2016 г.

"Our concerns are well known. It is a Chinese initiative. The CPEC passes through sovereign Indian Territory. So our concerns in this regard have been conveyed to both China and Pakistan," Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokeswoman Vikas Swarup said.

India is also worried that CPEC will give China access to the Indian Ocean and Pakistan's strength will increase. Gwadar would become a major seaport, whichwould give China a foothold in the western Indian Ocean.

Further, China would also get easy access to the Arabian Sea. These moves, India feels, would undermine India's influence in the region.

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