Minister Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said three universities located on Western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will start functioning this year to produce quality human resource in the less developed areas.
Speaking at a Preston University's conference on "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); Opportunities and Challenges" he said that the three universities including in FATA, Zhob and Gwadar are part of government's efforts to produce quality human resource along with focusing on infrastructure development and energy production through the mega development project. Describing the criticism as misperception, he said that it was not "China-Punjab Economic Corridor", adding those creating controversies were either based on misperception or motivated by the local politics.
"The misconception is totally incorrect that CPEC will benefit only a particular part. The entire regions of the country will become a network but in phases," he said, adding this controversy was political having no relevance with the facts. However, he added that now there was a complete consensus and all parties were supporting CPEC.
Referring to the energy component of CPEC, he said that Sindh is largest recipient of energy projects where $11.5 billion out of $35 billion energy portfolio is being constructed. He said the bias towards Southern part of the country in energy projects is due to coal source as coal projects can be completed in three years timeframe and there is urgency of overcoming energy shortage in the country. He described CPEC a trans-regional project, which would benefit three billion people of the region through enhanced regional connectivity with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of the country to play instrumental role in integrating the whole region.
The minister said that CPEC would benefit the most backward areas of the country and this change is starting to appear in the form of emerging of human settlements on section of western route from Quetta to Gwadar, which is scheduled to be completed by end of this year.
According to him, a new era of development and prosperity would usher in Balochistan when missing links on western and central routes would be completed. "CPEC is not two or three years project restricted to present government's tenure. It's a 15-year long project to be completed in 2030 by focusing on infrastructure development, Gwadar Sea Port, energy and industrial cooperation," he asserted.
Talking about benefits of the project to the region, he said that CPEC was not China-Pakistan bilateral project but a project targeting the whole region. "Even India has started realising potential benefit of CPEC to trade with China through this shortest and economic route," he said, adding CPEC is a fusion of Vision-2025 of Pakistan and China's One Road-One Belt for future growth and development
Along with CPEC, he said that the TAPI and KASA 1000 MGW regional cooperation project would redefine West Asia to turn it into a regional economic block of three billion people.
He said that CPEC translated the decades-long political relations between China and Pakistan into strong economic ties. On one hand, he said CPEC offers enormous opportunities for sustained economic development of the country, while on the other it also brings with it the challenges and issues, which require huge responsibility to deal with.
He underlined the need for developing new mental models through changed thinking and behaviours to make this project a success. "The positive thinking and behaviour can be brought in by focusing on quality human resource development and present government is earnestly working on this aspect," he stated.
The minister also called upon the scholars and academia to join hands with the government to tackle the challenges in the way of CPEC for optimal utilisation of its potential for economic development of the country. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab, in his address, said that when completed, the CPEC will not only benefit the entire country but also the whole region. He said that all the four provinces will be treated equally and equal opportunities will be provided to the people of all the provinces under the project.
He pointed out that security and economic situation of the country has significantly changed and the whole World is now focusing on Pakistan and the investment opportunities available in the country. Former foreign secretary Akram Zaki said that CPEC is part of the greater scheme to connect the whole world. However, he pointed out that there are some impediments that need to be removed. According to him, today there are two worlds - "Western World and the Chinese World" - the later one, through its peaceful economic agenda is gradually dominating the whole world.
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