BATTAGRAM: The Corridor Front on Thursday warned it would stage a protest in front of the PM House if the federal government didn`t give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due benefits of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The front leaders issued the warning during a rally they organised in Kuzabanda here. The speakers alleged that the centre was using KP as a CPEC transit route only and diverting all its benefits to Punjab. Political activists from Battagram and other districts also participated in the meeting as well the rally.

The speakers included Corridor Front convener Dr Said Alam Mehsud, Awami Workers Party general secretary Waheed Zaman, Battagram Qaumi Ittehad chairman Haji Tahmas and political leader Zubair Anjum and others.

Mr Mehsud alleged that the federal government wanted to make the mega project controversial. He said that the government had denied KP the CPEC project`s benefits, including establishment of industrial zones, railway tracks, optic fibre cable, oil and LNG schemes, etc.

`We are not against mega projects like CPEC. We just want the government to give us our due rights,` he said and alleged that the federal government always focused on Punjab while ignoring the areas covered by CPEC. He said that the CPEC project should ensure development of four KP districts, including Battagram, Shangla, Torghar and Kohistan.

Mr Mehsud demanded of the federal government to protect the rights of KP in the CPEC project. He added that they just wanted funds equal to 10 per cent of the orange train projectfortheirareas.

He said that areas like Battagram district lacked proper roads and health and education facilities, which were the basic rights of citizens.

Mr Zaman said that people of the areas covered by CPEC should be given jobs in the project. He warned that the Corridor Front would move the International Court of Justice over the denial of due CPEC benefits to KP.

Mr Anjum said that the federal government should immediately accept the Corridor Front`s demands to ensure the development of smaller provinces. He said that the smaller provinces were getting nothing from the federal government`s development funds despite generating large revenues. He warned that they would protest outside the PM House if the front`s demands were not met.

Mr Tahmas said that Battagram was rich with minerals and the government should establish mineral industry here in the district besides developing its tourism infrastructure. Af ter the public meeting, all the leaders organised a rally in Kuzabanda Bazaar.