QUETTA: The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), while expressing concern over what it called ignoring its members in matters relating to Gwadar Industrial Zone, has said that without involving local traders and industrialists the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cannot achieve its goals.

QCCI president Haji Jumma Badezai, senior vice president Salah Uddin Khilji and vice president Mohammad Yasin Raisani issued a joint statement on Tuesday, saying that the federal and provincial governments were ignoring the local business community in matters involving the Gwadar Industrial Zone as their suggestions for the CPEC success had been ignored.

`The centre and provincial governments have been claiming that they have been giving imponance to representatives of the chamber regarding the Gwadar Industrial Zone but the situation is moving in the opposite direction as projects are being awarded on the basis of favouritism,` the statement said.

Deploring the attitude of the federal and provincial governments, they said that ignoring recommendations and suggestions of Balochistan traders and industrialists regarding development of Gwadar and trade activities couldn`t be tolerated any more.

They alleged that the authorities concerned were allotting land in the pon city to their favourite individuals and business people.

`The discriminatory behaviour of Islamabad and provincial government with the QCCI members was creating a sense of deprivation among the business community of Balochistan,` the statement said.

It said the chamber had taken up the issue at all forums but still it was waiting for a response from the authorities concerned.