It is heartening to note that there are strong indications that clearly suggest that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the projects under it will no longer suffer slowdown on account of any reason whatsoever.
The arrival of an elected government that has replaced an interim setup will surely help remove all doubts about the future of the CPEC, which is not less than a national cause, so to speak.
It may be noted that the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has given a comprehensive briefing to newly-appointed Minister Ahsan Iqbal on the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
What is important to note in this regard are the remarks of the planning minister who has reportedly said that “No further hindrance in the implementation of CPEC agreements will be tolerated.”
During the meeting, the minister reportedly highlighted the importance of the Gwadar Port, a strategic project under CPEC, which is set to become a key maritime gateway connecting Pakistan with the rest of the world.
The development of Gwadar Port and its associated free zone is expected to attract foreign investment, stimulate economic activities, and create job opportunities in the region. He said that Gwadar is the best tourist destination, emphasizing the need for a solid and effective strategy to promote investment in Gwadar.
That the CPEC has unjustly and unfairly suffered slowdown is a fact. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government (2018-22) was in particular responsible for relegating this project of mega import to backburner to the sheer chagrin of the Chinese government and investors alike.
It is a fact that the then government was never able to justify the inordinate delays that characterized the execution of its projects.
Those delays, in my view, were the result of flawed policymaking processes in Islamabad if anything else. Following the exit of the PTI government in 2022, it was widely speculated that China was behind the downfall of the PTI government.
Such speculations died down as soon as PTI came up with Cipher conspiracy allegations against the US, holding it responsible for tabling of a no-confidence motion against the then prime minister Imran Khan by the opposition that later morphed into a coalition government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
Be that as it may, nothing can be supreme than the national interest. The CPEC, in my view, serves the national interest in a big way. Hence the need for pursuing this objective with a lot of seriousness.
Ahmed Bashir Cheema (Lahore)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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