The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) once again in
frontline perplexing lot of minds belonging to Gilgit-Baltistan while the
dwellers of Gwadar are not raising their voices in this matter. Majority of the
inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan are raising questions regarding their fair
share in the project. According to official statistics, the lion share of CPEC
is given to Punjab. According to reports, 330 projects are included in CPEC and
out of these 170 projects are given to Punjab and only seven projects are
assigned to Balochistan none of the Project is allocated to Gilgit-Baltistan. The
percentage of total project assigned to Punjab is 54%.
Let discuss some facts about the two key components of the
CPEC: one is GB and another is Gwadar. China Pakistan Economic Corridor has the
potential of making Pakistan one of the most developed country in the world; we
admit that the CPEC is not only game changer, but fate changer for the whole Pakistan
as well, and we admit that the project is in the interest of Pakistan which will
give job opportunities and investment facilities to the citizens of Pakistan.
If we go sixty years back, the friendship history of China
and Pakistan was not based on any project like CPEC or any business alliance
rather the relationship between the two countries started by a formation of
strategic alliance in 1972. Keep in mind, maintaining close relationship with Pakistan
is in the foreign interest of china because Pakistan is the only neighbor through
which china can access majority of oil -rich countries in the world. To counter
Indo-American bond in the region, China has to maintain a military relationship
with Pakistan, CPEC was one of the option, and interestingly, CPEC has made the
relationship much stronger.
Let us explain the importance of Gwadar. Gwadar is the most
crucial and important deep sea port in the world, which never stops its
operation even in the chill cold weather and in burning hot temperature. Gwadar
gives china the access to Arabian Sea through which 45% of the world trade of
oil take places. More than this, Gwadar can connect China very easily with the
countries full of natural resources, which include Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
UAE, Kuwait, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. To access these countries and some other countries
in central Asia, china has to navigate 12000 kilometers via sea starting from Beijing
through Shanghai, Hong Kong, Vietnam, enters into the long Arabian Sea and finally
reach its destination. While on the other hand, china can just travel 2000
kilometers via land to access these countries. Shipment of oil and other heavy
machinery will occur through these transits to china and more interestingly, it
is said that china will form its naval base in Gwadar to increase its influence
in the region and keep eye on the American activities. Nonetheless, such a key
component of the CPEC, the dwellers of Gwadar are treated as stepbrothers, are
not given stake in the decision-making and are made deprived of their fair
share. Which will of course create problems for the government of Pakistan in
the form of Baloch liberation army and other nationalists groups who will
detonate the pipelines and the infrastructures.
GB on the other side has similar complaints. The biggest
issue of the Gilgit-Baltistan is that according to UN resolution, Pakistan has
to follow the international law and until the resolution of the Kashmir issue,
the Pakistan government cannot make any mega project in the region, which Pakistan
is openly violating by allowing china to intervene in a disputed region. Gilgit
is a gateway to the Project and the fair rights are not given to the
inhabitants while their old silk road is being transformed into a gigantic Karakorum
High way from Kashgar to Gwadar. That is why Pakistan is considered as a
dualist state.
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| KKH Gilgit |
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