CPEC and Chitral:
Pakistan China relationship start on 1st October 1949 by accepting China as a People’s republic of China, Pakistan was the first Muslim country ,3rd non communist and first country which recognized China’s as country.
In 1950 Pakistan open the diplomatic mission in China. China has been a true and sincere a time-tested friend of Pakistan and cooperated in every tough time of Pakistan. Bilateral trade and commercial links started in January 1963 with first trade agreement.
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in goods was signed on 24 November 2006 and in services on Feb 21 2009.
The buzzword of 2016 “CPEC” nowadays discussed in every electronic and Print media, specially the central point of debate in TV’s talk-shows, and can been seen that the clever politicians using this word as a defensive approach for their innocent public in Pakistan, is certainly and obviously game changer series of projects for the fortune of Pakistanis.
51 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU)was signed related to diverse aspects of Bilateral relations, during the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan, Later on Prime minister Nawaz Sharif visit China and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) on 5th July 2013.Then China’s President Xi Jinping in April 2015 arrived in Pakistan to oversee the signing the agreements aimed at establishing the corridor between Pakistan’s southern Gawader port on the Arabian Sea and China’s Western Xinjiang region.
This $52 billion will be used for many infrastructure projects in Pakistan out of which $32 billion is to be used for energy projects in the next five years. This project involves the construction of a series of highways, rail links, pipelines, total 2500 km to 3000 km long roads placed Gawader in the southwest of Pakistan to Kashgar 2500 km away in China’s Western Xinjiang Province , will absolutely change the future of Pakistan, will also benefit China’s too, through Pakistan the shipment cost will much reduced one third of the path through strait of Malacca to middle East and European destination ,which is 9912 miles and daily cost for shipment of 6.3 million barrels of Oil is $18 million and total time to reach their destination is 45 days ,but through Pakistan it will be 3621 miles to Central China and 2295 miles to west China to reach the destiny only in 10 days ,will save China’s $6 million per day almost $2 billion every year.
This series of projects will benefit and will be the remedy of the shortfall of energy crisis of Pakistan, through CPEC 10400 megawatts at a cost of $15.5 billion will be produced up to 2018 and after 2018 more electricity will be added to national grid that is 6600 megawatts by additional cost of $18.3 billion, will double the current Pakistan electricity output.
The CPEC will be for all the provinces of Pakistan including the Pakistani Kashmir too, it is hope to complete up to 2025 to 2030.
Now will focus our attention the affects and impacts of the tremendous project on Chitral, some week before the PM and authorities announced the inclusion of the District Chitral also beneficial from CPEC, As the road is a alternative safe path regarding security issues and geographical location (short as compared to the road crossing the Gilgit ) that’s why this step has been taken by the authorities
we thanks to MNA Iftikhar (we appreciate for his mega project and communal centric approach of development rather than individualism, his community based development strategy will certainly benefit the public, he brought projects up to the cost of Rs.57 Arabs, but the public is curious, questioningly for his out of public gathering and not using the media diplomacy and media politics, that’s a sincerer leadership ),Chief minister Khatak and central government for their concern as a alternative route for CPEC through Chitral, will surely benefit the Chitral regarding the infrastructure in the form of widened and motorway liked roads links to Malakand and northern side to Gilgit, passing through the Laware tunnel (Pakistan longest and highest tunnel 9 km )to Shandor (the highest polo ground on earth 14000 meters from sea level).
The following are the emoluments and torts that will impact on, economic culture regarding jobs, infrastructures, roads, gas pipe lines, tourism, market values, dry fruit business, effect on music, language, people’s lifestyles, transportation, industries ,factories, environmental effect on air, soil, forests, water.
1. Trade and link road and Chitral Dir Malakand road and Chitral Shandor Gilgit roads will minimize the time for public transport and general trunks, reducing the shipment cost for local markets and Tenancies for common citizens and passengers traveling outside the District.
2. Public traffic and outsider will increase effecting the local markets and Bazaars definitely.
3. Multi lingual interaction will affect the local culture and traditions.
4. Competition among the local Chitralis and the new comer from outside the District will increase affecting the poor Chitralis shopkeeper and the capitalists like Pathans, Bajawories, even Punjabis will hold maximum in the markets resulting the Exploitations of Chitralis.
5. The lands and property valve will be increased, and will out of approach of common Chitralis that will certainly benefit the elite and outsiders.
6. Tourism will be in the peak after the tunnel inauguration, this will be due to proper advertisement of Chitral through media focus.
7. Khowar language will be affected by the mixture of multi languages due to the outsiders.
8. Khowar and chitrali local and traditional songs will change ,as we have already been effected by the new and pop type music introduced by the new generation, local bands , those have impressed from the studio version of mixture of Pashtoo، Shina, Broshes, Urdu, English etc, will sure effect the indigenous cultural and music.
9. will be industrial focus for mining like the Best Iron in Pakistan is in Dmail Arando Chitral, marble factories, forest timbers, wood, firewood’s demand and supply will increase in and outside the district, due to safe and easy, widened roads, this will result the deforestation in Chitral as we have been already facing the timber mafia monopoly , hundreds of thousands cubic feet of construction wood have been sent outside the district, through smugglers and also local timber contractors supported by government.
10.The pollution sound, soil, air, water will increase, currently all the sewerages pour into the Chitral river from Drosh bazaar, Gehrait army camp,Chitral Bazars, Danin side all the latrines and squalidness has been exerting in the Chitral river for the last two decades and no proper solution for this main problem hasn’t ever been discussed by the leaderships.
11. Private jobs in the construction companies, working in the Chitral, will benefit the jobless youths and opportunities for experience and financial support.
12. If the gas pipeline plan is executed, definitely decrease the demand of firewood and will save our forest.
13. Chitral will in the media focus in every occasion, festivals i.e. in Jeshn e Shandor(June, July),Jeshe Chitral(March, April), Jeshen e Qaqlasht (mid of April),Jeshn e Baharan (April) ,Kalash festivals Chilom Josht (beginning of spring),Chitarmas (in the welcome of new year), Oochal (in winter season), Jeshn e Boroghol (summer) etc.
14. Our cultural, traditions etc will be much highlighted, which will result the increase of income, development to tourism industry, film industry will possibly introduced in Chitral, for shooting and sceneries just like BBC video shotted on the Snow leopards, Lollywood, Hollywood, for dramas, films, can been screened and shoot in different beautiful location in Chitral, like, historical forts, places, Birmoghlast old fort in the top of mountain, In Kalash valleys,Qaqlasht area, In Shandor, In Laware top mountains etc.
These are few of the main points ,there will much more things will certainly read their peak having both positive and negative impacts on our Chitral
Rizwan Ul Mulk Sahil.
this is my article published in Face book page Explore Chitral
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Explorechitral/posts/
