CPEC ‘last chance’ to progress

Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) was the first major opportunity to progress in the 70s, some 40 years later we again got a chance for progress through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). We missed the first one due to corruption and mismanagement in the PSM, and I am afraid we may miss the last opportunity, too. 

Each time when we look for a way forward, we go one step backward and as a result we are constantly on decline as a nation. Not much time is left now to take decisions and responsibility.

Interestingly, everyone look towards the CPEC, as a "window of opportunity", and there is nothing wrong in it, whether we understand it or not, but the manner in which we have politicised the issue could jeopardise our dreams to see the CPEC a reality.

Developing Gwadar as a port city would be like a dream come true but the ownership must belong to the people of Balochistan. It is unfortunate that we could not even utilise the only port city Karachi and the Karachi Port in the last 60 years. One still wonders that if the sailors are no more allowed to go out of Karachi Port vicinity, how much opportunity would they get in Balochistan? Therefore, the CPEC is also linked with peace in the country.

Our eyes are not on the PSM but on its land as the real estate is the only flourishing business in this country.

Similarly, Balochistan needs development and roads as transport is the means to connect the people. If we had good railways system, even close to our neighbour India, people would have got cheaper and fast transport.

So, Balochistan's major concern on the CPEC is based on the ownership, and the Federation needs to satisfy them.

The solution was simple. If the government in the first place took the matter to the Council of Common Interest (CCI), projects like the CPEC could have been more effective, practical and non-controversial. In fact, it should have been launched through the CCI, under its oversight. The CCI is a constitutional and the most appropriate forum to take major decisions linked to all the four provinces and the Centre.

The government would have been on a strong footing if the CPEC had been looked after by the CCI. Even otherwise by not holding its meeting for almost 10 months, the government has violated the Constitution.

Secondly, instead of resolving the issue within Parliament, both government and opposition have failed. If Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and main opposition leader Imran Khan remain absent from Assembly sessions, it shows their lack of seriousness in working of the democratic forum.

Thus for all practical purpose we have made the CPEC controversial which has already cautioned China. This is not good news for Pakistan and in the end it would only lead to blame game.

In this background one finds an element of distrust during the All Parties Conference (APC) of the opposition parties on the government; but is the opposition on one page and have they realised the final outcome if controversy lingers on?

It is true that there are reasons to believe why there is an element of distrust for smaller provinces on the big brother i.e. Punjab. It often results into dismantling of the projects after they got controversial.

But have the smaller provinces and successive governments really spent whatever resources they have got on their people particularly in the field of education and health or all these developments goes in to the pocket? For six decades, we have fought for provincial autonomy but whatever they got after 18th Amendment were never utilised.

Nawaz Sharif started his political inning as third-time prime minister, quite well. He showed political maturity by giving the Balochistan government to a nationalist leader, Dr Abdul Malik of the National Party. In his two and a half years term as per agreement with the PML-N, he knows well how much Balochistan's interests were ignored and looked after in the CPEC. He also knows well as who had taken over lacs of acres of prime land, which he had cancelled.

Sharif also refused the JUI-F, after 2013 elections, to destabilise the PTI government and allowed PTI-JI alliance to form the government. Similarly, in Sindh, the PPP got free hand to delver.

So, where he went wrong? Despite his efforts there is a general perception that, perhaps, he failed in dispelling the impression that he is the prime minister of Pakistan. If he held regular CCI and NFC meetings it would have given extra confidence to smaller provinces on Punjab and the Federation.

Things would have not gone to the level of the APC, either called by him or by the opposition, if constitutional forums were made functional, Punjab government been treated like any other provincial government and Punjab chief minister like any other CM.

I was in Islamabad on Sunday that all attended the APC, hosted by BNP (Mengal), and credit goes to its chief, Sardar Akhtar Mengal to bring the government and opposition across the table, but was disappointed that instead of consensus, an "Islamabad Declaration" was issued, meaning the controversy was not yet over.

Listening to dozens of speeches, some relevant but mostly irrelevant, one got an impression that most of our leaders have little understanding of the CPEC. Had we been sincere in resolving the issue, the APC could have been more constructive, if they have agreed on Saleem Safi's suggestion of less and few speeches to reach conclusion.

The BNP (M) gave a very comprehensive presentation on behalf of the opposition. The government delegation led by Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal should have come up with plan to satisfy Balochistan's opposition rather than defending the existing position. It would have been better if some progress was made or they have reached on some decisions.

But what turned out in the end was a disappointing Declaration for another meeting, this time with the prime minister. If only relevant leaders were invited and all sides should have sat even for two days and come out with some understanding, at least, a good example would have been made.

For decades we have been calling Karachi, a "mini Pakistan" because all ethnic nationalities live in this city of 20 million. But have we really developed this port, commercial and economic hub as mini Pakistan? From Karachi Mass Transit to circular railway, the city is on decline to compete with other mega cities of the world.

Even Sindh as province failed to utilise its rich resources and it would be naive if we only hold the Centre responsible.

The Federation could be responsible for many ills but those parties who have ruled Balochistan and Kyber Pakhtukhwa are equally responsible for not doing much for their people in providing resources.

It would be wrong to compare the CPEC with Kalabagh Dam, but the fact remained that in the last four decades we hardly have a vision on this issue either.

The idea behind the CCI was suppose to address all such issues to develop Pakistan but if an elected government fails to fulfilled its constitutional responsibility, can it be called a democratic government? 

We proudly claim to be a nuclear power but the nation's progress is in becoming an economic power, and it is time to learn from countries like Japan and China.

Pakistan's 68 years history is nothing but a story of missing opportunities in all fields. Let us not miss this ‘last opportunity’ otherwise the future generation would never forgive us, Mr Prime Minister!

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang