Despite the best coordinated efforts of Pakistan and China to accelerate CPEC Phase 2.0 there has been a surge in the propaganda against it in the region as well as in the country which is very unfortunate.
Some pseudo intellectuals, so-called economists, western influenced political scientists and paid journalists are intentionally disseminating their self-assumed doubts, fears and miscalculations against the CPEC Phase 2.0. They are terming it a derailing project raising only debts and deadlocks, hence playing in the hands of enemies of Pak-China friendship and their mega project of development, connectivity, infrastructure, socio-economic integration and qualitative industrialization. By unduly raising the issues of safety and security of the Chinese nationals and projects, these eerie characters are actually detrimental to the sincere efforts of the government of Pakistan and its military agencies, thereby attempting to sabotage CPEC Phase 2.0.
Since the beginning of their ties both countries inked numerous important MOUs, mainly the Barter Trade Agreement of 1963, the Machinery and Technical Support Agreement of 1966, the Trade Protocol of 1975, the China-Pakistan Border Trade Agreement of 1985 and the Technical and Financial Assistance Agreement for the Saindak Mining Project of 1984. Bilateral investments in 1989 opened windows for the Chinese companies to make investments in the country. Ultimately, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transformative economic initiative, was jointly started in the country in 2013; however, it was confronted with severe propaganda in the region and beyond. The Western proxies (paid writers) started a new type of strategy i.e. 5th generation hybrid war against the CPEC, its projects and of course Pak-Sino friendship, dubbing it a total failure, labeling it anti-human rights and a debt-driven concept to seal sovereignty and territorial integrity. Indian RAW penetrated into the nets of TTP, TTA, MB, FS and collaborated with other regional secret agencies to attack Chinese nationals, stopping them from making any investments and projects in the country.
These forces of darkness have had vast and deep-rooted networks of NGOs, local operators, sympathizers and handlers in the shape of sleeper cells in the metropolitan cities which directly targeted the Chinese nationals and their projects, especially in Balochistan and Gwadar. Hence Balochistan has become the hottest spot for regional proxies, where sequences of so-called protection of human rights sit-ins, long marches, economic exploitation processions and political marginalization press talks were sponsored. This somehow slowed down the pace of CPEC. Nevertheless, the humanistic approach of the governments and secret agencies snatched their dirty nexus and tried to liberate the minds and souls of young people from the merchants of hatred, bigotry and ethnic division through massive development and decency. But the black ink of these black-sheep continued to act according to the wishes of their lords of alien lands. Moreover, the role of so-called husband & wife think tanks, one table & one chair research centers and fabricated senior regional experts who submitted baseless and untrue reports further destroyed the trust level.
Ironically, one of the federal governments, because of its immaturity and unprofessional conduct with having no diplomatic sense, committed an irreversible act by declaring CPEC as anti-development and magnetic of debts in the Financial Times London, which immediately irked Beijing. Resultantly, CPEC witnessed a snail pace afterwards. The ISPR has already traced out many banks’ accounts in which funds had been transferred by the Indian RAW through different means including foreign missions. Thus propaganda persisted in different shapes, producing dark shadows eclipsing the speed of CPEC in the country. Frankly speaking, high expectations of CPEC have been marred by continuation of political instability and social inflexibility by a certain political party which could not even refrain from challenging the writ of the state and its various important organs. Thus, dirt of personal politics badly disturbed our economic ties and the CPEC remained hostage to it, ultimately leaving high expectations unfulfilled.
Unfortunately, CPEC also faced bureaucratic hurdles and its approval, execution and completion remained a difficult task. Additionally, the failure of the Investment Protection Act 1989 and the Free Trade Agreement and Energy Framework of 2006 vividly reflected weak execution and structural gaps in the government machinery. The dawn of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has managed this prevailing sick mentality and resolved these issues. However, it is pertinent to mention that Pakistan could not build desired Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to accelerate the second phase of CPEC and industrialization, which really haunted our credibility and productivity of the project. Till today only two SEZs are in advanced stages and operational. It seems that the Planning & Development and Special Initiative Ministry could not perform well and remained busy in meaningless statements, seminars and visions. Therefore, any further self-projection should be discouraged.
Interestingly, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has changed its global outreach policy, shifting from large scale investments to smaller ones with direct and immediate community benefits, mainly focusing on social development, rural revitalization, eradication of poverty, generation of new jobs and community development. It is the need of the hour that policy makers of Pakistan should also chalk out new plans and programs that can attract funding aligned with this new direction. Thus, formation of an SME Corridor would be a value addition in the CPEC Phase 2.0 in the country. In summary, the government of Pakistan badly needs genuine Sinologists, not former ambassadors who always rely on their own blind allies which have nothing to do with innovative and constructive wisdom to streamline the CPEC Phase 2.0. The writer has been advocating the formation of a Corridor of Knowledge consisting of pure scholars, experts, social marketing gurus, applied economists and political scientists, to gear CPEC Phase 2.0 in the right direction.
Moreover, without the resolution of safety and security issues pertaining to Chinese nationals and CPEC projects, the chances of attracting more inflows of FDI are getting diminished. The writer proposes a complete overhauling in the existing policing system, para-military apparatus and coordination of secret agencies to provide a flawless security system to Chinese in the country. Inclusion of modern warfare techniques, gadgetries, humanoid soldiering, Artificial Intelligence, digitalization, robotic security shields and better border management would be a giant step towards the right direction. Furthermore, formation of a “Corridor of Aerial Surveillance” through modern drones continually patrolling at borders would be a right choice to stop incidents of infiltration. Pakistan’s new military diplomacy has started a new chapter in national history securing new strategic cushions for stabilizing the economy which must be appreciated. Thus, true professionals of national narratives, counter intelligence, soft image and national security should be appointed in the key posts to safeguard the vested interests of Pakistan and CPEC Phase 2.0.
Last but not least, the policy makers of China should also understand that rapidly changing socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic scenarios in the region and beyond have direct impacts on Pakistan and its economy. Therefore, any notion of discarding Pakistan and considering making investments elsewhere would not be an appropriate policy shift. Pakistan’s geography, geology and geo-economics is the most suitable for China’s connectivity with Central Asia, South Caucasus and the Middle East. Trump’s most recent announcement of retaking Bagram Base is a wake-up call for all the regional countries, so slow delinking from Islamabad would not suit Beijing.
