PESHAWAR: Political parties have demanded the immediate implementation of the declaration of the multi-party conference held in Islamabad on the proposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and start of work on the corridor`s western route along with all allied facilities.

The Jamaat-i-Islami hosted the conference here at the party`s provincial secretariat on Tuesday, which welcomed Chinese investment in CPEC and other projects.

A joint declaration issued after the conference said political parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were not against CPEC but wanted to safeguard rights of the province.

Leaders of 16 political parties andgroups attended the conference and demande d Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif implement the decisions of the multiparties conference held in1slamabad on May 28, 2015, on the CPEC project.

JI KP chief Mushtaq Ahmed Khan presided over the event, while senior minister Inayatullah was its convener.

The conference was attended by JI parliamentary leader in National Assembly Sahibzada Tariquilah, provincial finance minister Muzaffar Said, Zakat and Ushr minister Habibur Rehman, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, JUI-F`s Gul Nasib Khan, PPP`s Syed Zahir Ali Shah, QWP provincial chief and senior provincial minister Sikandar Sherpao, PTI education minister Atif Khan, senior minister Shahram Tarakai, PML-Q`s Intikhab Chamkani, ANP-W`s Fareed Toofan, Islami Thereek`s Allama Ramzan Taugir, JUI-S leader Maulana Yusuf Shah, JUI-P`s Fayaz Khan, Olasi Tehreek`s Dr Syed Alam Mehsud, MKP`s Afzal Khamosh and others.

`If Nawaz Sharif ignores the joint declaration of conference, then it will not only affect this gigantic project but will also cause major setback to China-Pakistan friendship,` said the declaration read out by JI provincial chief Mushtaq Ahmad Khan.

`This is the responsibility of the federal government to remove apprehensions of KP and implement decisions ofthe conference in letter and spirit,` said Mr. Mushtaq.

He said conflicting statements of federal ministers and steps being taken by the federal government had created confusion about the project.`If the centre ignores KP in CPEC, then political parties will use constitutional, political and legal options to protect rights of the province,` he said.

ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain who also addressed the conference said if western route of CPEC was abandoned then it would create sense of deprivation among the people of KP and Balochistan.

He said both smaller units of the federation had reservations over the project and therefore, western route should be built according to the original plan of the project.

Mr. Hussain said his party was in favour of the CPEC project but it would not allow any compromise on the rights of the province.

The declaration said the federal government should begin work on the CPEC`s western route immediately and provide all allied facilities including railway track, gas pipeline and optic fiber.

It added that the Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan section of the Indus Highway should be declared part of the CPEC`s western route and upgrade the highway to six lanes.`The proposed six lane should be connected with major highways in Fata at three different locations.

The declaration said the government should fix timeline for the start of work on allied facilities like construction of railway track, oil and gas pipelines in addition to establishing trade, industrial and economic zones along the corridor.

It said the government should fix timeline for high transmission line along the western route and give top priority to the construction and completion of Chak Dara-Kalam-Khwazakhel-Bisham Expressway in Malakand division.

`The proposed expressway will easily link Pakistan with Central Asian Republics via Chitral and GilgitBaltistan. This route could be used as alternative to the CPEC in case of tensions with India.

The declaration said like Lahore, Orange Line project should be launched in Peshawar, too, and that it should be linked with the CPEC`s western route.

It demanded the up-gradation of Peshawar-Torkham railway track and said the government should also earmark $5 billion for energy projects in KP to generate 10,000MW electricity.