THE CPEC AND BALOCHISTAN: SHARE, RESERVATIONS AND POTENTIAL: HOW CAN CHINESE EXPERTISE AND INVESTMENT HELP IN HARNESS THESE POTENTIALS IN FUTURE

Abstract

China_Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of projects of Chinese initiative one belt one road (OBOR) and a lustering example of all-weather friendship and strategic cooperation between both countries. While Gwadar deep seaport which is the jugular vein of the CPEC stands pivotal in regional connectivity. Undoubtedly, the CPEC could be a game changer for the province (provided that it covers the major gaps in the socioeconomic development of the province) where unemployment, marginalization, poverty, deterioration of agriculture and livestock, non_extraction of natural resources, and paucity of resolving energy crisis have engulfed the province. As far as the projects of this multibillion initiative are concerned, Balochistan has not gotten its due share as it deserved despite the enormous potential of the province in the agriculture, livestock, energy, information technology, and tourism sectors. This research will analyze the CPEC projects which are being constructed across the country with a particular emphasis on projects in Balochistan. In addition, the ongoing study will further shed light upon the reservations of the political leadership, experts, and the local people of the province owing to the paucity of an adequate share of the province that is the crown jewel of the project. Apart from it, this disquisition will further elaborate on the potential of Balochistan in agriculture, livestock, blue economy, natural resources, energy, and other sectors and will provide pieces of evidence of Chinese progress and investment across the world in these sectors and how Chinese expertise can help harness these potentials in Balochistan. Last but not least, this investigation will further provide policy options as to how the CPEC can be a game changer (in actual terms) for Balochistan specifically and for Pakistan as a whole provided that Chinese expertise and investment are further utilized.