The government is of the view that the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be instrumental in achieving the SDGs.

However, the CPEC, in my view, had withered on the vine during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. The most ambitious development project in the history of Pakistan, CPEC, had become rudderless until prime minister Imran Khan and his government were removed through a no-confidence vote against him. The PTI government’s sheer incompetence had harmed the pace of CPEC so much so that the project had started attracting criticism from home as well as abroad.

Many had been even describing it as a ‘mega white elephant’. The PTI government had perhaps wanted to please the West, including the US, by relegating the CPEC to one of its lowest priorities. How ironic, however, it is that the US allegedly became hostile against PTI government by replacing it with an “imported” government. It is, however, interesting to note that at no stage of its ongoing anti-government protest has PTI accused China of removing the Imran Khan-led coalition government for stunting the progress of CPEC. The second phase of CPEC has bright prospects mainly because of the fact that the PTI is no longer at the helm.

Khalid Arain (Lahore)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023