The dream of China Pakistan Economic Corridor has finally come true as the first trade caravan of 50 trucks carrying Chinese goods travelled through the Khunjerab Pass and has reached Gwadar amid strict security by the Pakistan Army.The caravan,which left China on 31 October,completed its journey in 11 days to reach Gwadar otherwise it would have taken 45 days to cover this distance. The corridor is the best example of friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and China and the Gwadar port is the connection point from where China will be able to export its goods to different countries. The economic corridor is a package of different development projects with total budget of $51 billion. It covers a variety of projects including enhancement of energy capacity and development of infrastructure in Pakistan.The CPEC related package not only covers construction work but also various development projects in four provinces of the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan is a land of opportunities and it is blessing for the countries in the region which can use the economic corridor to enhance regional connectivity. Iran and Afghanistan have already expressed their desire to become part of the economic corridor and it is a lesson for India to do away with its hostile posture and accept the hand of friendship from Pakistan.
The economic corridor is a best opportunity for India to enhance its connectivity to China, Afghanistan, Iran and central Asian states. All these countries can spur business and trade activities if jointly work to change the lot of the one third population of the world living in this region. The economic corridor is not just a road, but lifeline of economy for the countries in the region. It time Islamabad should vehemently persuade the Chinese establishment to shift its small industries to Pakistan instead of Bangladesh. It will be in the interest of the two countries as China is already spending billions of dollars on infrastructure projects in Pakistan. The government should also invite the European businessmen to invest in the proposed export processing zones which will be established along the economic corridor. Once the government misses the bus, it will take years to find another opportunity of the kind which is available today.
Instead of taking advantage of the corridor project, India is creating controversies through its agents in the country. Pakistan has recently deported several Indian diplomats who were deployed on secret missions and had set up a spy network to launch saboteur activities in Pakistan. The government should keep strict check on the anti-national elements who are on New Delhi’s payroll and are involved in anti-Pakistan activities.
