All not well with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, says Baloch leader Sanaullah Baloch

A former senator from Balochistan has expressed grave concern about the efficacy and future of the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, and advised the incumbent "elitist" establishment in Islamabad to forego its controlled policy of discouraging a national debate on the CPEC if it wants Pakistan to achieve prosperity and equality.

In an opinion piece for The News, Sanaullah Baloch said that there is an urgent need for Pakistan to resolve some of its basic political problems with regard to the CPEC and its current implementation strategies, which in his view were harming a prestigious national project.

"The recent statements from the military and civilian elite in Islamabad and the security forces that control Balochistan leave no room for a logical and positive dialogue on the CPEC and its implementation and long-term effects. And, in particular, representatives of an oppressed province are branded as traitors or as anti-development - which ultimately qualifies such voices to be one of the 'enforced disappeared' or targeted and killed," Sanaullah Baloch said.

He further warned that separating politics from economics is a terrible idea, and advised that there is a need for wise policies to be taken to create an environment that generates economic activities, equality and inclusivity.

Baloch said that when the people of Balochistan are being treated as "enemies who want to destabilise Pakistan and disturb its economic development", such statements and judgments result in a dangerous trend that "suffocates and stagnates discussion on issues of national importance."

He further stated that a "controlled form of democracy" in Pakistan today, which is not at all healthy in both the short and long terms.

"The Sindhis, Baloch and Pakhtuns are stakeholders in the CPEC. Their concerns about transparency, inclusivity, benefits, management and even the security aspect of the project must not be treated and translated as attempts to sabotage it. Media houses have been instructed to report 'all-is-well' stories about the CPEC and ignore the very pertinent protests, demands and ideas around this issue. Such policy of 'blackout' will neither help Pakistan nor our Chinese brothers to adjust their risk log and mitigation strategies according to local needs," he said.

Sanaullah Baloch further advises Pakistan's military leadership to use its soft power to encourage oppressed, marginalised and exploited masses and groups to come forward openly and raise their concerns through a peaceful and democratic way.

He also maintained that the CPEC is engulfed with "countless" corruption scandals related to contracts, a majority of which have been shelved in the name of 'national interest'.

"To avoid mistakes and misadventures, it is the duty and constitutional responsibility of state institutions to encourage dialogue on a variety of issues..The CPEC is not a 'free lunch'. The project is structured on the bases of project financing not as an FDI, soft loan or a grant. Project financing has demanding requirements and in the CPEC's case there is no clarity and transparency on these agreements and arrangements," he said.

"It must be ensured that the federating units and all the parties' obligations are negotiated and are contractually binding. Moreover, the sharing of risks and benefits brings all four provinces into a close and healthy relationship," he added.

He said that the CPEC in its present state lacked transparency and inclusivity, and added that because of Balochistan's geographic location, strategic port and route, the province should have been given top most priority.

"The facts indicate otherwise. The CPEC's early-harvest projects are in full swing in Punjab and Sindh. Out of $28.6 billion early-harvest projects, Punjab has the lion's share of $13 billion, Sindh $4.6 billion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa $1.8 billion, Islamabad $1.5 billion, Gilgit-Baltistan $920 million. Balochistan stands with less than $660 million. Lacking 'economic viability', the $9 billion, 6,600MW Gadani Energy Park launched in 2013 has been shelved. The $360 million, 300MW, Gwadar Coal Power Project has also been shelved," he said.

"To address such historical mistakes, the CPEC and any future economic policies and projects need to be inclusive - both in terms of design and implementation. A fearful environment has been created, discouraging any logical and productive discussion on the topic. Political parties are disregarded. The Balochistan National Party's January 2016 APC resolution and recommendations have been totally ignored," he concludes in his article.