Opinions

CPEC and Gwadar: A Window of Opportunity or Missed Potential? By Noor Mohsin Over the past few years, countless statements, announcements, and analyses have been made about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). While China remains diplomatically quiet, people across Pakistan, especially in Gwadar are filled with both hope and concern. This is understandable: Gwadar is both the starting and ending point of the economic corridor. Yet, despite its strategic importance, it still faces severe underdevelopment. Surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides, Gwadar’s residents ironically struggle for access to clean drinking water. They receive contaminated water once every 20–25 days, and that too for just an hour through a half-inch pipe. The old neighborhoods are crumbling, and there’s no fully functional hospital to treat patients adequately. There’s no proper sewage system, and despite billions spent, Gwadar still lacks a single functioning industry to create jobs. Unemployment and a lack of basic facilities persist. CPEC and Gwadar have become synonymous, mentioned together so frequently that separating them feels impossible. But they are, in reality, two separate entities. Each has its own needs and priorities, and both deserve distinct, fair assessments. Mega projects like CPEC often bring unintended consequences. Before its arrival, crimes like theft, extortion, gun culture, and violence were not common in Gwadar. There was no prevailing atmosphere of fear. Fishermen and business owners lived with a sense of peace. The deep-sea port, now a symbol of development, was once a thriving fishing ground given up by locals in good faith with the belief that CPEC would transform their future. But instead, they received unemployment and hardship in return. I attended a program hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Development in collaboration with the Government of Balochistan, titled “CPEC: Gwadar, Balochistan, and Pakistan.” Public representatives, intellectuals, and journalists gathered to discuss the significance and implications of CPEC. During this event, a senior official from China Overseas Port Holding Company claimed that all major civic issues in Gwadar, water, electricity, roads, sewerage, education, and healthcare could be resolved within six months. However, they also said they were not being given a free hand to address them. This raises the question: Who is preventing the resolution of Gwadar’s problems? CPEC is a historic opportunity. Globally, it emerged from shifting alliances following 9/11, and regionally, from Pakistan’s geopolitical location and its growing distance from the U.S. On the national level, it is Gwadar in the south and Gilgit in the north that anchor its strategic depth. CPEC allows China to strengthen its economy, develop its western provinces, and simplify the import-export process through reduced costs and access to Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. For Pakistan, CPEC brings not just infrastructure but political capital. The current government, for example, leveraged CPEC to show progress especially in addressing the energy crisis, at least temporarily, to influence elections. For Balochistan and especially Gwadar, CPEC holds countless opportunities in trade, investment, employment, and education. But those benefits can only be realized if the government ensures transparency, provides technical and educational institutions, and fulfills its responsibilities. The core question is: Are the local people ready and empowered to benefit from these opportunities? The most valuable asset for national progress is human capital. Natural resources can’t yield progress without educated, skilled individuals to utilize them. Unfortunately, Balochistan remains Pakistan’s most underdeveloped province in terms of human resource development. Our priorities as a province, or even as a nation, remain unclear. Education and training are key—but Balochistan lags behind in both. To truly benefit from CPEC, the government needs smart planning; political leaders must demonstrate long-term thinking and resolve; and the public must stay united, build mutual tolerance, and focus on collective progress. Preparing the youth for the future is not just a hope, it is a national movement that must begin in the hearts of our leaders and policymakers. Slogans and speeches won’t safeguard our future, only knowledge and skills will. The responsibility lies not just with the government but also with the youth themselves. They must stop relying on others and begin investing in their education and capabilities. Opportunities will come—but only those who are prepared will benefit from them. Editor’s Note:This article was originally published in 2017 in Tajziyat, a respected journal based in Islamabad. It has been republished here for wider public interest and reference.