Development of Balochistan
means a new Pakistan”. To connect the entire Balochistan with Gwadar, this
network of roads, motorways and highways will bring enormous opportunities to
the people of Balochistan and will uplift the economy of Pakistan. The
inaugurated highway was part of the development of Gwadar Port and CPEC. The
3000km long route of CPEC will link Gwadar Port of Pakistan with Chinese
autonomous region of Xinjiang. Apart from the 3000km road, there would be a vast
network of roads across Pakistan,connecting with the main route of CPEC. This
multi-billion project will open up new avenues of opportunities for the people
of Balochistan. With estimated 7.1 billion initial investment through CPEC,
Balochistan will be getting the second largest share from $62 billion according
to the statistics of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform.
Balochistan in general and Gwadar in particular is the linchpin of CPEC. The
project will subsequently contribute to the development of Balochistan and will
address various economic and social problems of the province. It is envisioned
that Gwadar would soon be transformed into an economic hub. Despite being rich
in mineral resources, so far Balochistan’s contribution to the economy of
Pakistan has not been high, which has consequently affected its development. One
of the major reasons of this was the geographical roughness of the terrain and
poor population. For instance, Turbat has a population of 180,000 people and has
the most difficult terrain along the western route in Balochistan. Pangjur,
another district with rough terrain in the west of Balochistan has a population
of around 350,000 in its three tehsils. After the construction of western route
of CPEC, the value of properties has increased rapidly in the areas where roads
have been built. Other cities like Qalat, Quetta and Zhob will also become more
vibrant with the completion of the planned network of roads, which will
ultimately give a boost to economic activities and other development projects
under CPEC. Development of Gwadar, completion of CPEC and economic prosperity of
people are connected with peace and stability in the province. Parliament and
security forces of Pakistan have already done enough to bring peace and economic
developments in the province. Now it is time for Provincial Government and
people of Balochistan to stand against those miscreants who want to keep the
province in darkness.