ISLAMABD – PTI, which was accused by the previous Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz (PML-N) government of not endorsing CPEC, will now take reinsof the country. It is being debated that the party may veer away from CPECand cause problems in Pakistan-China relations.
However, these observations seem unfounded as the PTI in the past hadexhibited a pragmatic and positive approach towards CPEC. Party ChairmanImran Khan has met the Chinese ambassador and his teams several times wherehe has been briefed on all aspects of CPEC and the importance of China forPakistan.
Even in his victory speech, Imran specifically talked about China’sdevelopment model. He described CPEC as one of the best models to bringpeople out of poverty and assured the nation that the PTI would take it asan opportunity for the development of Pakistan.
The project also provides an opportunity to Pakistan to raise prospects ofinvestment flows from other countries and investors.
Moreover, CPEC supports the PTI manifesto in which the party promises tocreate 10 million jobs for youth and marginalised communities in a span offive years.
Special zones
In CPEC’s Long-Term Plan, a huge investment is envisaged in the SpecialEconomic Zones (SEZs) for the development of industry and business.Industry, commerce and entrepreneurship will be the main areas of focusunder the umbrella of SEZs, which will generate employment opportunitiesfor skilled and unskilled labour.
I believe the PTI has already comprehended this reality and conductedresearch on how to benefit from it. The SEZ in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) isat the most advanced stage compared to other economic zones. The Long-TermPlan also includes skills development for capitalising on CPEC-relatedopportunities and job provision. China is already investing in skillsdevelopment in Pakistan and prominent examples are a vocational traininginstitute in Gwadar and a joint venture in Lahore.
Governments of China and Punjab established the skills developmentinstitute in Lahore and Tianjin University is helping to make it one of thebest campuses in Pakistan. The Gwadar institute is serving many objectivesas it not only imparts skills to people, but also helps to integrate thelocal community in the mainstream. China is providing thousands ofscholarships to Pakistani students in an effort to develop a pool ofskilled labour for the future.
PTI has promised to invest more in skills development as it did in K-P overthe past five years. It heavily invested in education and health as bothwere fundamental for skills and human capital development.
Human capital, equipped with skills, is the basic element for fosteringeconomic growth and development and improving the life of poor andmarginalised communities. However, we have to wait for a few months toevaluate the performance of PTI at the national level.
The PTI is a proponent of meaningful engagement of the private sector.Similarly, CPEC offers an opportunity under the SEZs to strengthen the roleof private sector of both countries. It also provides opportunities forprivate sector of the two sides to interact directly. SEZs are crucial forenhancing economic development and expanding the export base of the country.
Pakistan has been facing a rapidly growing trade deficit as exports havenot increased markedly over the years. PTI’s priority is to reverse thetrend and in this regard SEZs will provide an opportunity to address thechallenge on a sustainable basis.