What CPEC will Deliver to Pakistan

(Syeda Aimen Shah, Islamabad)

CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) is one of the most awaited and talked about project in Pakistan since 22 may 2013. But CPEC actually deserve this hype because it is a hope of better region of future with peace, development and growth of economy. It would not be wrong to say CPEC as Connectivity, Productivity, Employment and Capitalization because this $62 Billion project will help to modernize Pakistan’s infrastructure and strengthen its economy by construction of modern transportation network, numerous energy projects and special economic zones by engaging different regions like Baluchistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, KPK, Punjab, Sindh and Xinjiang (China). It will help to improve the lives of people of Pakistan and China by building an economic corridor promoting bilateral connectivity, construction, explore potential bilateral investment, economic trade, logistics and people to people contract for regional connectivity. CPEC includes integrated transport and IT systems including roads, rails, ports, air and data communication channels. Energy cooperation, spatial layout, functional zone, industries and industrial parks, agricultural development and poverty alleviation, tourism cooperation and people communication, cooperation in livelihood areas, financial cooperation and human resource development. These projects will benefit youth by providing them 800,000 job opportunities over the period of next 15 years by converting unskilled people into skilled workforce for this purpose different technical schools and training centers including Technical and Vocational Institute (Gwadar) and Gwadar university will be opened as said by Chinese Ambassador to meet the demand of local and international markets. Different training workshops will also be held for training of modern machinery and equipment. To meet local energy, demand several energy generation projects like SSRL Thar coal project, HUBCO coal power plant, Kohala hydel project and Gaddani power park project etc. will be started under CPEC. It will also help in changing Pakistan's business and economic landscape through promoting tourism and increasing trade and commerce as a lot of investors from China and other countries are coming to Pakistan to explore business opportunities under CPEC because the time required to transport the goods from the current route to the CPEC route would reduce by 50 percent from 50 days to 25 days which means there would be saving of 50-65 percent in freight charges. The development of Gwadar port will attract international traders as it will be a business and economic hub and this will increase overall GDP of Pakistan. Under CPEC Chinese will also finance in railway lines, roads, transportation projects which include Gwadar east bay expressway, New Gwadar airport, Orange line, Quetta mass transit, Matiari to Lahore transmission line and Matiari to Faisalabad transmission line etc. and will lay cross border optic fiber all along the CPEC route. CPEC will also increase tourism in Pakistan as improved roads, power infrastructure and pipelines will make the pristine tourist spots accessible. So we can expect economically stable, educated, employed and beautiful Pakistan for this mega project of CPEC. And all of this will result in giving a positive image of Pakistan to the world. So CPEC will be a game changer for Pakistan and Pakistanis.

Syeda Aimen Shah
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