Questions have been raised about the utility of the infrastructure projects as soon as governments of China and Pakistan announced agreement on plans for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in 2013. There has been speculation that the people of Pakistan, particularly the people of Balochistan do not stand to benefit from the huge project. Some people have sugegsted that the challenge of returning the areas bordering Afghanistan, particularly in Balochistan, to peace and normalcy is going to be too much.
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The project was envisaged in 2013. It and became a reality, two years later in 2015. So far, progress on the project has kept pace with the ambitious plans. In infrastructure and energy sectors the project has already started paying dividends. As an ailing economy Pakistan had long needed an initiatve of this kind. The project is designed in such a way that once it gains momentum, its pace will accelerate.
A desirable feature of this project is bringing the fruits of development to less developed areas of both Pakistan and China. These include the western parts of both Pakistan and China. The project is a ray of hope for those residing on both sides of the border.
CPEC promises to take Pakistan-China friendship and their economic cooperation to new heights. It is a truly epoch-making project
Balochistan is the smallest province of Pakistan in terms of population. However, it has the largest land mass and its share in the economy is bound to grow rapidly. Balochistan is already known for its mineral wealth. For years, Balochistan has been supplying natural gas to the entire the country. As CPEC becomes a reality the untapped potential of the province will be realized.
An amount of $7.1 billion has been set aside as the initial investment in Balochistan. The funds are to be spent on development projects. After decades of exclusion from the development agenda, Balochistan has been transformed to be the linchpin of the project. The Baloch can now hope to participate in the economy and enjoy their rights. That is how they can make CPEC a success and take Pakistan forward in a collaborative manner. The project has allowed the federal government to make good use of the land mass in the province and address the problems faced by the people. It is hoped that the development of Balochistan’s mineral wealth is nigh.
So how will CPEC benefit Pakistan and Balochistan? The answer is simple: through development. The deep sea port holds great trade potential. The infrastructure development will prove a great boost to trade and economy. Infrastructure developments will also open new and better markets. Resultantly, more investors would be attracted. The investment they bring will lead to the creation of more job opportunities. The living standards will improve gradually, but surely.
The project has already started benefiting Balochistan. Industrial zones are planned in Quetta, Gwadar, Khuzdar, Uthal, Hub and Dera Murad Jamali. There will be mineral processing zones and plants for extraction of valuable metals from the ores. The road and rail network will help improve efficient movement of goods making the trade more efficient. Besides the road and rail network, three major energy projects are planned in the province, namely, Gwadar Coal Power Project, HUBCO Coal Power Plant and Gadani Power Park Project. These projects will contribute approximately 2,940 MW of energy to the national grid.
The security situation in Balochistan has been unsatisfactory for quite some time. Military and security forces were carrying out an operation to neutralise the rebels. Soon after the announcement of the project, Balochistan became the centre of attention and the fulcrum of the CPEC. Recently, National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), Pakistan revealed in their 2018 report that there has been an overall 21 per cent reduction in terrorist attacks compared to the preceding year. The law and order situation is improving in Balochistan. Once the socio-economic fabric of the province gets strong, there will be a large influx of people migrating into the province.
Most importantly, Gwadar is going to be the anchor and key driver of this mighty collaboration between China and Pakistan. It is hoped that Gwadar, having one of the world’s deepest sea ports, will become another Dubai by the time the project gets into its final stages. Balochistan is thus going to be a bridge between Asia on one side and the West on the other. The city itself will see massive modernization. Theses project will bring the federation and the province closer to each other.
The writer is a research associate at the Islamabad Institute of Conflict Resolution