Six mega infrastructure development projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) doled out more jobs to locals than foreigners, a study revealed. The Chinese surpassed by Pakistanis in terms of getting the jobs and this fact brushed aside the impression that Chinese would hijack the jobs created under various projects.
The CPEC Center of Excellence collected data of job creation and employment of locals and foreigners from six infrastructure projects: KKH Phase II (Thakot -Havelian Section, Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (Multan-Sukkur and Lahore-Multan Section), Up gradation of D.I Khan (Yarik-Hakla) Phase I to V, Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M4) (Package II and III) and E-35 Expressway also known as Hazara Motorway, which are situated in different regions of Pakistan. It showed ninety percent locals were employed in these mega projects as compared to seven percent Chinese.
Multan-Sukkur section of Peshawar-Karachi Motorway is considered as the largest transportation infrastructure project under CPEC. The total number of jobs created under this project up till now is 15,174. From which only 8.5% (1,293) of the labors are hired from China while 91.5% (13,881) of the workers are hired from within Pakistan.
For section of the motorway known as M-3 Lahore-Abdul Hakeem Motorway which connects Lahore M-2 to Abdul Hakeem, 17,246 jobs have been created; of which more than 96 percent (16,676) of the workers possess the nationality of Pakistan, compared to only 570 workers or 3.3 percent belong to China.
KKH Phase II (Thakot -Havelian Section), which connects the Gilgit-Baltistan to Islamabad is project to be completed at $1,366 million. Only 30 percent (US$409 million) spending on the project has created almost 7800 direct jobs; of which almost 6000 (76 percent) are Pakistanis while around 1800 (24 percent) are from China.
D.I Khan (Yarik-Hakla), Phase I to V will also be upgraded between Zhob (Balochistan) and Dera Ismail Khan (KP). This project is divided into 5 phases. The first phase from Yarik to Rehmani covers an area of 55km for which around 450 jobs have been created. For the next phase from Rehmani to Kot Balian (70km), 2500 Pakistani individuals have been recruited. Similarly, more workers include: 500 for Phase III from Kot Balian to Tarap (52.5km), 1,300 for Phase IV from Tarap to Pindigheb (50km) and 1,950 for Pindigheb to Hakla (63km).
Total employment 6,700 generated under these projects has entirely been hired from Pakistan.
Faisalabad-Multan M-4 comprises of 5 sections. Total employment generated under this project is 3,640, including 3,543 labors from Pakistan and only 97 from China. The
E-35 Expressway, also known as Hazara Expressway will reduce the total time of travel from Havelian to Islamabad to just 30 minutes and 1020 people employed for this project include 1,000 (98 percent) Pakistanis and only 20 (2 percent) hired from China.