Gwadar uplift possible only when locals are made stakeholders: speakers

KARACHI: In the Eighth Gwadar Book Festival, University of Gwadar (UG) organized a session on “Great Power Rivalry or Cooperation? Gwadar, Pakistan and Geo Economics” in RCDC Gwadar previous day.

The keynote speaker was Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Other panelists at the discussion included Dr. Aqdas Afzal, Program director Habib University and Mir Sher Baz Khetran Research Fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI).

The discussion was moderated by Dr. Syed Manzoor Ahmed, Pro Vice-Chancellor University of Gwadar.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said Pakistan was in a strategic location where huge transformations and transitions were taking place: the peaceful rise of China, and Pakistan endeavouring to be the hub of regional connectivity through CPEC, by making a transition from geopolitics to geo-economics.

He said after 42 years of war in Afghanistan, which affected Pakistan directly, the country cannot be a party to any new conflict, confrontation, or Cold War, as connectivity and cooperation are the need of the hour.

Senator Mushahid underlined the need for proactively promoting CPEC, which is the flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the most significant diplomatic and developmental initiative in the 21st century.

Dr Aqdas Afzal said that economy of these countries was also considered far away from the economy of the United States, but now China has achieved its economic development to a considerable extent.

Further he said that development in Gwadar can be possible only when the people of Gwadar are made stakeholders in its development.

The session ended with a question and answer segment.

Gwadar University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Former President RCDC Gwadar Khuda Bakhsh Hashim, Dr Badal Khan, political and social personalities, faculties and students were present.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023