The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a reality; it was conveyed directly to the people of Pakistan by none else but President Xi Jinping and that it would benefit 'all parts' of the country but confusion persisted. There were doubts, concerns and apprehensions. So much so that provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa passed a hard-hitting resolution against perceived changes in the original layout of the corridor. And Baloch nationalists view it as a conspiracy to dispossess the people of Balochistan of their natural resources. Left unchecked the unanswered questions could derail the entire project. The much-desired work has been done now - the prime minister has given a briefing to the party heads and their parliamentary leaders. At the meeting chaired by him on Wednesday it was also decided that an oversight parliamentary committee would be constituted which would be regularly briefed by the concerned officials.
Since the prime minister wanted to be in Karachi where dozens of innocent citizens were massacred as early as possible he couldn't take questions from some of the participants. But what he said in his brief statement should help them see the multi-billion dollar long-term project in its correct perspective. The project doesn't carry the Nawaz Sharif stamp nor is this a PML (N) gift to the nation; it is a national project agreed to between two countries. Its timeframe spreads over 15 years during which normally three general elections should take place. It is therefore imperative that national consensus should stand at the back of the project - for which the present opposition should exhibit patience and the government needs to be a bit more transparent. Given some of the components are to be government-to-government projects many others would involve private sectors of Pakistan and China. Therefore, while planning the route of the CPEC considerable attention has been given to its alignment with various towns and cities as well as its security aspect. Fortunately, the project enjoys support across the board; if there is any criticism it is about the route of the corridor and some other matters which should be welcomed as positive contributions of others.
But one thing that evokes serious concern is the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's revelation at the APC that some 'external forces did not view the working proximity between Pakistan and China and the project positively and therefore were trying to sabotage the project. The nation must stand united to foil the nefarious designs against the economic corridor as its components are, not for a party or individual, rather were for the country's development'. Who that external force is, he did not name. But fingers rise in the direction of New Delhi for quite obvious reasons. There is no debate about the fact that the CPEC will create a geo-economic nexus between Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and most of the Central Asian Republics. India too has been trying to reach the land-locked Central Asia through Iran. Within days of President Xi's visit of Pakistan Indians reached Tehran and offered to revive its decade-old agreement to develop Iranian port of Chahbahar. Then it offered the visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to extend the road it has already built in his country up to the Iranian border. Ironically, both China and Pakistan do not see the CPEC through a prism as narrow as of India. Nawaz Sharif said the foreign forces must realise the economic corridor project is not against any country. President Xi too was quite emphatic that China "wishes to live in harmony with Pakistan and other countries in South Asia and contribute its share to the development of the region".
The chief ministers of KPK and Balochistan did not get a chance to speak. Both need to be on board. The Council of Common Interest (CCI) needs to approve the project after detailed discussions to end any controversy once and for all. Our internal differences need not embarrass our Chinese friends. After all, people of China stand firmly with the people of Pakistan. So let us end disputes, if any, and no one, repeat no one, should feel dissatisfied on this score. Hence the need for another such moot on a project of high import.