Government should concentrate on Balochistan's uplift so that the long-felt sense of deprivation is addressed
MANJHIPUR: Recently, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated two road projects in Zhob, Balochistan as part of the southern route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project is speculated to be a game changer, especially for Balochistan. After the inauguration, media reports surfaced that the Asian Development Bank is funding the road project, and it is not part of the CPEC. This is disturbing for the people of Balochistan, who already suffer the worst form of deprivation at the hands of the centre that tries to keep the province backward by denying people their due share of resources.
For China, a major objective of the CPEC is to connect Kashghar, a less developed area of that country, to the deep-water seaport of Gwadar to create trade development opportunities with the Gulf and African countries. Our government should also follow this objective and concentrate more on the development of Balochistan so that the long-felt sense of deprivation in the province can be addressed.
Rashid Hussain Bhatti
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2016.
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