Corridor of conflict

The conflict over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is slowly boiling into one that could fray the federation. As a compromise after another All Parties Conference on Friday, the PML-N government has offered to resolve the conflict by constituting an 11-member steering committee to oversee the various CPEC projects. The government has promised that the prime minister and the provincial four chief ministers will meet every three months to review progress and address grievances while also promising to complete the western route of the CPEC by July 2018. Despite the apparent resolution of differences at the APC, there was a heated discussion between the emboldened Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the federal government at the meeting. Federal ministers blamed the KP chief minister of raising hue and cry, instead of focusing on his own province. The response was equally terse. The exchange was symptomatic of the greater mistrust that has developed between the PML-N led Punjab and federal governments and the governments of the other three provinces. The meeting was concluded on a temporary reconciliation basis.

Mistrust between the provinces and the political party at the helm of affairs is deep. For a long time now, the government has insisted that CPEC projects are to benefit all of Pakistan. On the ground, the only movement to be witnessed has been in Punjab. This is why the only way of ensuring that the conflict does not amplify is to ensure that the promises made in the most recent APC are met. Transparency, as we have pointed out before, has been lacking when it comes to the details of the CPEC project. It is strange how little anyone seems to know about billions of dollars set to be invested in the country. The PM’s APC was in response to the APC called by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, which made it seem as if the verbal conflict over the CPEC is set to continue. By acting in time, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ensured that the political temperature will be lowered in the coming months. The reality is that the eastern route of the CPEC will still be prioritised, only for the simple reason that most of it is already in place. China might be in Pakistan for the long term but it would prefer to reap the benefits in as short a period as it can. Pressure to bring Gilgit-Baltistan into the constitution is indicative of China’s wish to secure its investment. The tension between Chinese demands, the federal government’s will power and the expectations of the country’s smaller provinces will continue. At least now there will be a mechanism to address them.