Is CPEC Another Kalabagh?

In a society where negativity and cynicism reign supreme, critics of all kinds are revered, emotional outbursts and fabricated stories dominate the prime time news and social media, thereby it is difficult to analyse opportunities and risks arising from a national level project dispassionately in a holistic manner.

Increasing concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are making both the public and political parties edgy about the reticent nature of the $46 billion ‘deal’ that hands over a strategic jewel, like Gwadar, to China. Like previous governments, Tabdeli Sarkar is threatened by opponents’ moves that prevail political instability in the country and government fails to overcome weaknesses and deficiencies in the existing set-up. Consequently, the country remains in the same vicious cycle of poor deliverance.

Provinces like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa see the CPEC as a federal-controlled development project that offers little long term development to these two historically thrust aside provinces. It is being perceived over there that this whole endeavour is designed to benefit Islamabad to the neglect of the smaller provinces. Fanning parochial and ethnic prejudices, doubts are created about the narrow impact of these projects.

The project of Kalabagh Dam was also opposed due to the major trust deficit between Punjab and the smaller provinces on issues that included the way the federation is ‘governed’ and controlled. In the 1980s and 1990s the Kalabagh Dam scheme was similarly projected and promoted as a national project; not a single ‘national’ benefit – to the rest of the country – was highlighted even then. The Kalabagh Dam was mainly opposed by Sindh and KPK because of the fear of flooding and displacement threats to Nowshera city, and the desertification of Sindh. Balochistan also joined the bandwagon to support its historical allies against the civil-military establishment’s policies, which have always benefited central Punjab at the cost of the marginalised ‘federating units’ and their oppressed people.

Some Baloch youth believe that they would become a minority in their province. Mistrust and not perceived economic gains underlie such anxiety.

Moreover, another concern associated with CPEC is that the country would be encumbered by costly external loans to go for another bailout. Frightening numbers such as totals of $110 billion are floating around.

Since China announced the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), more time and energy has been spent in finding faults, poking holes and raising doubts. To date, the government has failed to quench critics on the issue of transparency of such a massive project. Reportedly not a single provincial government has received the CPEC framework and its detailed agreement to discuss the proposed project. The CPEC agreement is so secretive that the State Bank governor and the chief ministers of KP and Balochistan have also mentioned the lack of transparency. If the CPEC is an economic deal with national benefits then why do the provinces not have even a single piece of paper that underlines the long- and short-term benefits and arrangements made with the Chinese government and China’s companies?

Pakistan’s governance record has been relatively worse, irrespective of the form of government or party in power. It is characterized by the tug of power, frequent change of policies and not accepting responsibility. At present we have the ‘too much too little accountability syndrome’. Honest and competent officers have given up doing their best because of the constant fear of their names and reputations being unnecessarily tarnished by the FIA, NAB, Public Accounts Committee and media, particularly the free-for-all social media.

CPEC provides a golden chance to improve our institutions of governance. To be successful, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor requires an entirely different approach with national consensus.