A welcome consensus

So important is the CPEC that govt was forced into a process that was genuinely consultative, & listened to all sides

Reports that all political parties had reached consensus regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are welcome indeed. Let there be no mistake — the CPEC is the single-most important development in Pakistan in decades, and may really present an unrivalled opportunity for the country to finally, belatedly, attain its true potential. Reaching consensus was no easy task, and the back-story has now emerged. The concept of the CPEC has been widely misunderstood; possibly wilfully so on behalf of some political parties. It is a multi-layered mix of projects strung along three arterial routes. It is vast — so vast that it is impossible to build all three routes simultaneously, and the sticking point has been which of the three — east, central or west — would be built first. By far the easiest in real terms to build is the eastern route, primarily because it already has much of the necessary infrastructure in place. Thus the government, and the Chinese who are bankrolling this enterprise, opted to build this route first. Not so fast, said the political parties whose power bases are elsewhere than Punjab.



A tussle commenced, with a slightly surprising outcome. So important is the CPEC that the government was forced into a process that was genuinely consultative, and listened to all sides. A round of behind-the-arras meetings, including those with the Chinese before the APC, wrung pragmatism from the government side — and a change in its original decision. The western route is to be built first, by far the most difficult and challenging at every level, and especially in terms of security. The other two routes will also be worked on, but that to the west will have priority. It is now for the government to sit with the Chinese to work out the modalities, and a parliamentary committee is to be set up to oversee the project. One cannot help but surmise how much easier the government’s life would have been had it adopted a pragmatic and inclusive posture from the outset — but better late than never. Over the next 20 years, the CPEC will hopefully benefit all. We wish it well.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th,  2015.

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