It seems that the fate of the CPEC Phase 2.0 urgently demands policy readjustments putting it again on the fast track. Unfortunately, whims and wishes of the incumbent government has not achieved any substantial development on CPEC Phase 2.0 because of many \u201cmultidimensional\u201d reasons ranging from structure flaws, unproductive bureaucratic system, imbalanced policy making, isolated safety & security of the Chinese investing and working in the country and total failure of Pakistan Planning Commission and finance ministry to devise any \u201calternative\u201d mechanism to \u201cpay back\u201d the long pending payments of the Chinese IPPs.<\/p>\n
Emerging socio-economic preferences, geopolitical readjustments and last but not least, geo-strategic outreach has badly \u201cderailed\u201d the pace, productivity and progress of the CPEC Phase 2.0. Pak-US \u201cMetals & Minerals\u201d corporation has \u201cannoyed\u201d Beijing and also \u201cdried\u201d the Chinese investments. Moreover, inclusion of France, UK, Germany and Turkiye in minerals exploration has further \u201cirked\u201d the Chinese.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the increasing Pak-US ties are also fueling \u201cspeculations\u201d of Islamabad\u2019s shift from Beijing to Washington DC creating a sense of insecurity among the two \u201cIron Clad\u201d brothers. The policy makers of Pakistan should \u201creevaluate\u201d their geopolitical end gains and socio-economic profit & loss ratios before indulging into a new end game because variables of reliability, durability and trustworthiness have a \u201cbitter\u201d history in case of our alliance with the USA in the past.<\/p>\n
Moreover, some intellectuals especially prominent security expert Dr Moeed Yusuf while delivering a keynote speech in the Margalla Dialogue 2025 floated an out of the box idea about \u201cUS-China\u201d joint cooperation in Pakistan\u2019s metals & minerals sector that would provide an ample opportunity for all the regional countries in terms of safety and security. However, due to increasing regional as well as global emerging metals & minerals geopolitics between US and China the scope of this kind of scheme of arrangement would not be materialized.<\/p>\n
The deteriorating law and order situation in KPK, Balochistan and new surge in terrorism launched by TTP, BLA, MB, FS and most recent activation of ISIS in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Australia and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in the region have further slowed down development pace of the CPEC Phase 2.0 in the country. Although our armed forces and secret agencies are \u201cstriving\u201d hard and their hot pursuits are successfully \u201cneutralizing\u201d terrorist sanctuaries in the country but still foreign sponsorship and the arrival of new international terrorist players from the Middle East have become a serious problem.<\/p>\n
The unfortunate \u201cassassination\u201d of the Chinese workers at the border of Tajikistan through \u201cdrone attack\u201d and gunned down in Afghanistan have clearly indicated the existence of \u201cevil\u201d proxies and predators working against the interests of Pakistan and China in Afghanistan and in the region.<\/p>\n
It seems that Indian RAW, MI6 and new entrant Israel are \u201cinstigating\u201d the young Balochs and investing even on young girls to strengthen their human suicidal forces specifically targeting Chinese and their investments in Balochistan, Gwadar. Hence a joint and \u201cgrand\u201d anti-terrorism dialogue and mechanism among Pakistan, China and Afghanistan is the need of hour.<\/p>\n
The big army heads and secret agencies of Islamabad and Beijing should hold a series of meetings to jointly \u201ctackle\u201d the emerging threats of drone attacks on the Chinese and chalk out a new security strategy.<\/p>\n
The Financial Times news about \u201cPasni seaport\u201d has also become a hot topic in our media and intelligentsia piqued badly to Chinese because of strategic investment and importance of Gwadar seaport. The timing and geographical intimacy of both ports are casting serious doubts in the minds of the Chinese about their future cooperation and investments in the country which needs to be clarified at the highest level.<\/p>\n
Additionally, financial constraints have become a \u201ctroll\u201d between both countries. The long pending dues of the Chinese private energy companies have \u201csucked\u201d the prospects of new investments. Unfortunately, the policy makers sitting in Islamabad could not give any \u201calternative\u201d financial solutions of payments to these Chinese companies due to which many JCCs did not achieve any \u201cconsensus\u201d and road map for future projects in the CPEC Phase 2.0.<\/p>\n
It seems that structural backwardness has put the pace of CPEC Phase 2.0 on the \u201cback burner\u201d. No substantial work is being carried out in building of pledged Economic Free Zones in the different parts of the country. Moreover, the political blame game about CPEC has started another round of futile \u201czero-sum narrative\u201d building between Muslim League (N) and PTI.<\/p>\n
It seems that \u201cpersonified\u201d politics are badly hurting the prospects of common people’s prosperity in the country and white elephant of Pakistan\u2019s Planning Commission miserably failed to prepare any true plan for the revival of CPEC Phase 2.0 or attracting any substantial investments in the country. Hence constant decline in the inflows of FDIs is an alarming situation which needs to be rectified by all the stakeholders.<\/p>\n
The deep existence of corruption and \u201cElite Surrender\u201d as the IMF most recent report exposed is another invisible hurdle in the speedy recovery of the CPEC Phase 2.0. Outdated and \u201cstereotypical\u201d working style of bureaucracy and governance have forced foreign investors to stay away from our country. The prevailing economic model of growth is not creating any \u201cspace\u201d for \u201cindustrious\u201d people and the brain drain of the young generation should be an eye-opener for the policy makers.<\/p>\n
The writer suggests that there should be no compromise on the safety & security of the Chinese workers and investors in the country which would boost confidence between two countries and save the \u201cflat fall\u201d of the CPEC Phase 2.0 in the country. Meaningful proposals of enhancing safety & security of the Chinese must be prepared and implemented not confined only to cosmetic statements and political rhetoric.<\/p>\n
Hence formation of a \u201cjoint Pak-China drone surveillance system\u201d, constant information sharing, joint anti-terrorism and out of the box proposal of implementing \u201cSyrian Model\u201d of stopping infiltrations and protecting their people must be installed within the territories of Afghanistan making a sense choice for the complete eradication of terrorism and terrorist activities in the region. Thus Chinese policy makers must use their socio-economic and geopolitical leverages over Taliban and TTA to start working on this workable solution for all.<\/p>\n
The burning issue of pending dues of the Chinese energy IPPs may be resolved through the launch of \u201cPanda Bond\u201d in the \u201cChinese market\u201d along with payment of Principle from the \u201cexcess liquidity\u201d of the domestic banking industry. The finance ministry must ponder on it and try to gradually pay-back the pending dues of the Chinese private companies.<\/p>\n
The policy makers of both sides ought to think beyond short term gains because Pakistan geographically is the shortest route for trans-regional connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia and its Gwadar seaport may also be effectively utilized for China\u2019s imports and exports to Middle East and Africa in the days to come.<\/p>\n
Undoubtedly, CPEC Phase 2.0 is a \u201cblessing\u201d and its early execution, implementation and completion is the need of the hour. Last but not least, the policy makers of both sides should also think beyond Afghanistan for \u201cclubbing\u201d of CPEC & BRI starting trade through Karakoram Highway to Xinjiang and Khorgos dry port and last but not least a jointly populated Wahkan Corridor would be a value addition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It seems that the fate of the CPEC Phase 2.0 urgently demands policy readjustments putting it again on the fast track. Unfortunately, whims and wishes of the incumbent government has not achieved any substantial development on CPEC Phase 2.0 because of many \u201cmultidimensional\u201d reasons ranging from structure flaws, unproductive bureaucratic system, imbalanced policy making, isolated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68165,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,105],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[213],"class_list":{"0":"post-69758","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest","8":"category-opinion"},"yoast_head":"\n