QUETTA
Chairman Balochistan of the Pakistan Businesses Forum, Engineer Daroo Khan Achakzai said there was always a military driven security centric approach for Balochistan but due to CPEC, for the first time policy makers in Islamabad are looking at Balochistan with an economic lens.
Talking to media, he told Gwadar is central in CPEC and for the development of Balochistan. At the heart of regional connectivity it will connect South Asia with Central Asia, China and Middle East.
He said the establishment of PBF was much needed in Balochistan as there is a need to establish non political economic dialogue with the national and provincial stakeholders to expedite the issues of the Baluchistan trade and industry.
We also urged the Government to establish Chaman as a focal area for the trade towards Central Asian countries.
He further briefed Balochistan is most important component of CPEC as this is the most deprived province of Pakistan. It is located at the eastern edge of Iran. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces with 347,190 sq km and equates to 42 percent of the total land area of Pakistan.
The population density is very low due to the hilly territory and insufficiency of water and other human resources. It has 26 districts and the approximate population of Balochistan is about 15 million. Balochistan is rich in natural resources. The economy is largely based on the production of natural gas, coal and minerals.
The province’s natural resources significantly help meet the energy needs of Pakistan as a whole. Limited farming in the east and fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local population. Balochistan is very poor in basic education.
It is expected that 2.0 million people are expected to move to Gwadar within a span of 30 years. The port is not yet functioning, but noticeable signs of progress have been seen. Similarly, new residential areas, hotels, buildings, schools, hospitals and roads are indicative of modern trends.
It is also expected to have a positive impact on the rest of the province, which has been neglected for a long time. Gwadar Port is a mega project of CPEC and a vast amount of investment is anticipated in both its infrastructure and extensions; he added.
PBF Chairman (Balochistan) further stated that through CPEC, Pakistan’s International role will be more prominent; as many regional and extra-regional countries will be joining CPEC; this will improve Pakistan’s international stature, our contacts and will create an aura of peace and stability in the region.
