GILGIT: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) holds the potential to not only address Pakistan’s energy shortfall but also prove to be a fortune changer for the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
The CPEC is a collection of projects presently being implemented at a cost of $46 billion to rapidly expand and upgrade the infrastructure in Pakistan, as well as deepen and broaden economic links between Pakistan and China.
The Corridor, which passes through Gilgit-Baltistan to the north to reach the Gwadar port in the south of the country, will transform the economy and help bridge Pakistan’s power shortfall.
In his recent visit to Gilgit-Baltistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of a fibre optic project, which is another part of CPEC. The project will be completed in two years at the cost of Rs 4.4 billion. It will lay an 820-kilometer long cable from Rawalpindi to Khunjerab, and will provide an alternative telecommunication route between Pakistan and China, once completed. As a result, people of GB will highly benefit from this project as the region is still deprived of 3G, 4G and other modern telecommunication facilities.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, has said that the CPEC would bring prosperity in the country, especially in Gilgit-Baltistan. During a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from GB, the Minister said that the Corridor would prove to be a milestone in the history. The minister said that this project would also promote tourism in GB, which would ultimately favour the local public. He said that the Pak-Army troops would also be deployed to make Karakorum Highway safe for the travellers. Speaker, Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, Fida Muhammad Nashad briefed the media sources on the project and said, “the CPEC will boost tourism to the 73,000 sq kilometers region, which is called a paradise for mountaineers and is home to five of the “eight-thousanders” (peaks above 8,000 meters), more than 50 mountains over 7,000 meters and the world’s second highest peak, K-2, as well as the Nanga Parbat.” With the CPEC passing through GB, Afzal, a local businessman, hoped that the route would open business opportunities for people of the region. He said that the CPEC would be a game-changer for the region because of the establishment of one or two economic zones in the region, which will surely boost both job and business opportunities for local, educated youth and businessmen. Exporting fruits to China would be more profitable, Afzal said, further adding, “we can double our sales, earn more profits if we can sell our commodities to China, where cherries are very popular.”
He also noted, “we export our products to Dubai by air, but it would be faster and cheaper if we could send it by road to China via Xinjiang, as people of Gilgit-Baltistan can get a one-year border pass to travel to China.”
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Gilgit-Baltistan is the producer of over 100,000 metric tonnes of fresh apricots annually. Abdul Manan, the owner of a farmhouse and exporter of fresh and dried fruits to the Middle East, estimates that Gilgit-Baltistan is a producer of 4,000 tonnes of cherries and up to 20,000 tonnes of apples.
Development consultant, Javaid Akbar, who also belongs to the area, also said, “CPEC will surely bring development, prosperity, and business opportunities as far as the people of the region are concerned.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice of GB Legislative Assembly, Aurang Zaib Khan, said,”the Diamer-Bhasha dam, which is located in Gilgit-Baltistan, once completed, would generate 4,500 MW of electricity. People of Gilgit-Baltistan are facing a shortage of electricity nowadays, and completion of Diamer Bhashah will surely minimise the power load shedding in the region.”
