Shahid Jameel
Pakistan strategic location gives an immense importance in the region and after completion of the CPEC, the importance will be enhanced manifold in the field of the economic, commercial and geo-strategic. It will help in reducing the poverty, unemployment, and grievances of inequities of Pakistan. It is viewed as the game changer and a win-win situation in the whole region by generating massive trade and economic activity and will open new vistas of progress and prosperity of both the countries. It will boost the energy, transport, infrastructure and industrial projects. During the second phase of the upgrading project of Karakoram highway, motorway project between Lahore and Karachi, Thakot-Havelian motorway, Gwadar port expressway. It will improve the situation of energy, finance, commerce, banking, industry, and education.
Whenever a mega project is established, it needs to hire employees for making it operational. In case of CPEC project the mechanism of job creation would be the first impact and resultantly uplift of economic opportunities would support the communities through increasing the quality of life and overall standard of living. Economic growth is a fundamental requirement for the development of a country. For companies to invest and an economy to grow, stable environments, efficient institutions, functioning markets and access to sustainable financial services are all required. Since formal launch of CPEC, it is being described as a game changer but that sort of mark could only be achieved by dedicated and honest efforts. It has already created a large number of both direct and indirect employment opportunities for Pakistani engineers.
According to facts and figures, already more than 30 thousand Pakistani engineers and workers have got direct employment on various development projects in the country under CPEC umbrella. This also dispels the wrong impression created by hostile inimical quarters that only Chinese engineers and workers are being hired by increasing number of Chinese companies making investment in various sectors in addition to CPEC. As against over 30 thousand Pakistani engineers and workers, about 8000 Chinese are working on the CPEC projects. Game changer CPEC is being implemented in three phases of short, medium and long term till 2030 and gradually its scope is also being enhanced resulting in more Chinese investment.
The estimates of Planning Commission show that the figure may go much higher as CPEC would generate around 800,000 jobs over the period of next 15 years. Presently, the mega energy projects under CPEC portfolio contributed majority of jobs where more than 30,000 Pakistanis are hired as laborer and engineers. Port Qasim Coal Power project is the top one which created job opportunities for 5,000 Pakistanis. Sahiwal Coal Power Plant Project and Zonergy Solar Power Project stand second in the list with 3,000 jobs each. With implementation of two more project in energy sector; SukkiKinari and Karot, would generate around 6,000 jobs for Pakistani engineers and workers. Besides, energy portfolio, CPEC Transport Infrastructure Sector stands second in creating around 13,000 jobs for locals. Development of Free zone project at Gwadar has created hundreds of direct jobs with additional 2,000 indirect employment. Besides, such a huge direct employment, the CPEC projects which are in construction phase have brought a boom for construction industry as steel and cement manufacturers are fully engaged in multiplying their production.
In the meanwhile, CPEC being the pivot of the OBOR holds a great promise for the participating countries which has tempted even the European countries like the UK to become part of it. Conceptually speaking, it is an unprecedented and unique economic initiative ever taken at the global level. The CPEC, according to the financial experts, offers a win-win situation for China and Pakistan as well as other countries in the region. However, it is not without its detractors and critics who are relentlessly engaged in creating misgivings and apprehensions about the long-term impacts of the initiative and the future nature of relations between China and Pakistan. It has something to do with the global politics as well as political dynamics within the region besides certain lobbies within Pakistan who have agendas of their own. The apprehensions and misgivings being created regarding CPEC, for instance a recent The Financial Times’ report deliberately neglect the resources which would be generated through the implementation of the projects under it. According to report, the economists estimate that the implementation of CPEC would lead to a quantum jump of 2-3% in the GDP growth rate of Pakistan. That would be more than enough not only to cater for loan repayments and other liabilities but also for the future sustained economic development of the country.
CPEC is a nationally owned initiative, and the civilian and military leadership is unswervingly committed to ensuring timely implementation of all the projects under it, and there is no possibility of showing any slackness on that account. That commitment is amply demonstrated by the fact that Pakistan has raised a particular division for the security of the Chinese personnel working on the CPEC projects as well as the installations. It has rightly been said already that the detractors and critics of CPEC could not dent the resolve for its timely implementation. And for that matter our Chinese friends are also firmly committed to successful implementation of CPEC.
