GILGIT: Local leaders of political, nationalist and religious parties on Sunday vowed to bring people onto the streets if the federal government went ahead with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project through Gilgit-Baltistan without first determining the constitutional status of the region.

They were speaking at a multiparty conference titled `where is GilgitBaltistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project` organised by Pakistan People`s Party, GB chapter in Gilgit .PPP president Amjad Hussain Advocate, former GBLA speaker Wazir Baig,PTIdeputy organiser Fatahullah Khan, Awami Action Committee chairman Maulana Raees, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Abdul Sami, APML`s Karim Khan, JUrs Maulana Sarwar Khan, BNF`s Burhanullah, and other parties representatives spoke on the occasion, alleging central government`s discriminatory attitude toward GB people.

`Constitutionally and legally, investment of billions of dollars in a disputed territory is not possible, therefore, before executing the project the dis-puted status of the region should be settled,` PPP president Amjad Hussain said.

He said GB people were the third main stakeholders of the project, but they were`bypassed` in agreements struck with China. `It is surprising that two mega projects CPEC and Diamer Basha Dam are being executed in GB without consultations with the people concerned,` he lamented.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamaat-iIslami emir Mualana Abdul Sami said GB people were being sidelined in the economic benefits of the project. He recalled that the Karakuram Highway was also built without taking GB people into confidence. `Now without provision of constitutional rights, we won`t let the CPEC pass through the area,` he added.

The conference issued a joint declaration which demanded that till provision of constitutional rights to the region, the federal government should withdraw all taxes imposed on GB people. It said the GB people should be provided 10 seats each in the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan. The declaration also opposed the alleged plan to divide the Gilgit-Baltistan to execute the CPEC project. Correspondent