New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Balochistan, despite its abundant reserves of natural gas, coal, copper and gold — remains one of the poorest provinces in Pakistan, a new report has said, adding that for many in Balochistan, “China-Pakistan Strategic Convergence (CPEC) is perceived less as a development opportunity and more as a dispossession”.
According to an article in CESCUBE, the “resource revenues extracted by federal authorities and military linked enterprises rarely reinvest in local development — reinforcing economic disparity and political alienation”.
The Gwadar port in Balochistan has developed in terms of its technology, “yet the communities in the province continue to lack basic facilities like water, healthcare, and long-term employment”, the article argues.
Gwadar illustrates the effects of being connected without integration — a condition which fuels instability, particularly in regions where historical grievances remain unresolved, said the report.
The future of Balochistan and the long-term viability of China-Pakistan Strategic Convergence (CPEC) depends on whether Pakistan can move towards a more inclusive federal structure that respects regional identities and local governance.
“The CPEC has been outlined as a catalyst for interconnectedness and national growth. For Islamabad, this serves as an economic revival as well as a geopolitical tool and for Beijing – it offers strategic access to the Arabian Sea and diversification of trade routes,” the article states.
The province has been reduced to a mere transit space, rather than a political stakeholder in the corridors-based planning.
“The decision-making process is centralised, with limited local consultation, and opportunities disproportionately benefitting non-Baloch labours. This influx of external workers, combined with the militarisation of project zones, has intensified fears of demographic marginalisation and cultural erosion,” said the report.
Chinese workers and installations have increasingly become targets of insurgent violence in the province. Pakistan has extensively deployed security forces in the province, establishing dedicated protection units and surveillance units to safeguard the CPEC.
However, this securitisation distorts governance priorities, said the report.
—IANS
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