PESHAWAR: The representatives of various political parties, traders and civil society organisations formed a committee to devise an effective plan for what they called restoration of the original route of Kashgar-Gwadar Economic Corridor.

In this connection, a conference was held at Peshawar Press Club here on Thursday that was attended by the representatives of different political parties.Presiding over the confernece, Pakhtunkhwa Olasai Tehreek convener Dr Said Alam Mehsud shared the latest information about change in the route of economic corridor with the participants.

He said that change in the route of economic corridor was tantamount to snatching of the rights of Pakhtuns from them and keeping them deprived of due rights. He urged the leaders of different political parties and civil society organisations to join hands and step up efforts for restoration of the original route so that Pakhtuns would notsuffer.

Awami National Party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said on the occasion that the original route was changed but federal government was trying to deceive Pakhtuns by showing them `pieces of paper`.

He said that the change was totally unjustified. He said that ANP leadership had taken up the issue with Chinese ambassador. He added that there was no truth in the claims of federal government that the original plan of the route was in intact.

Speaking on the occasion, QaumiWatan Party leader Asad Afridi, Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf woman wing leader Farzana Zain, Awami Workers Party leader Fanoos Gujjar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fawad Ishaq and Anjuman-i-Tajiran general secretary Malil< Ihsan Ilahi condemned the change in the economic corridor.

They termed the decision of federal government against the interests of Pakhtuns. A number of civil society organisations` members also attended the conference.

The speakers said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were the worst affected by terrorism and still faced multiple challenges but the federal government was least bothered to pay attention to those two provinces.

They pledged to take the leadership of all political parties into confidence and make efforts for restoration of the original route of the economic corridor.

They said that only Punjab was not Pakistan but all the four provinces formed the country.

The speakers said that federal government`s intentions were mala fide as it wanted to reach Gwader via motorway.

For the purpose, advertisements had also been floated in media, they added.

They said that all the constitutional means would be adopted for protection of rights of Pakhtuns.

They urged the leaders of all political parties including JI, PTI, JUI-F, PkMAP and Baloch leaders to extend support to the joint committee on the issue of national interest.