More than 30,000 jobs created under CPEC early harvest projects

ISLAMABAD: The early harvest projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have crated more than 30,000 direct jobs for Pakistanis while the mid term and long term projects under CPEC are poised to create hundreds of thousand employment opportunities in the country.

According to official documents, the figure of employment opportunities under CPEC would further go up as CPEC would generate around 800,000 jobs over the period of next 15 years.

Presently, the mega energy projects under CPEC portfolio contributed majority of jobs where 16,000 Pakistanis are hired as labourer and engineers.

Port Qasim Coal Power project is the top one which created job opportunities for 5,000 Pakistanis.

Sahiwal Coal Power Plant Project and Zonergy Solar Power Project stand second in list with 3,000 jobs each. “Around 300 to 500 engineers are working on these energy projects which will surely help in transfer of knowledge in these sector, thus helping the country to have its own trained human resource” said official documents.

With implementation of two more project in energy sector; Sukki Kinari and Karot, would generate around 6,000 jobs for Pakistani engineers and workers. Huge number of Pakistani civil and electrical engineers could grab this opportunity where hydropower projects are under execution.

Besides, energy portfolio, CPEC Transport Infrastructure Sector stands second in creating around 13,000 jobs for locals.

The data shows that 9,800 Pakistanis are working on Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (Multan Sukkur Section), a biggest infrastructure project under CPEC.

The data further shows that KKH Phase II Havelian provided jobs to 2071 locals, Orange Line Metro Lahore created employment for 956 people and Fiber Optic project created 580 posts for Pakistanis.

Development of Free zone project at Gwadar has created 404 direct jobs with additional 2,000 indirect employment. It is estimated that this project would create thousands of job opportunities for locals; soon it is made fully functional with establishment of different industries here.

Construction work on ML-1 project of Pakistan Railway, Karachi Circular Railway, Gwadar Airport, Eastbay Expressway at Gwadar and other road projects are soon to be started as the both sides have agreed in principle to start these projects in 2018. “These projects could further create around 10,000 to 15,000 direct jobs this year” the data suggested.

The facts and figure clearly indicated that more than 75 percent Pakistanis are employed on CPEC projects, a fact which is contrary to the propaganda being spread by anti CPEC forces. Besides, such a huge direct employment, the CPEC projects which are in construction phase have created thousands of indirect jobs and brought a boom for construction industry as steel and cement manufacturers are fully engaged in multiplying their production.