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On Balochistan and CPEC
  • CPEC - China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
    CPEC - China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Nawaz Sharif declares, at the opening of the motorway that connects Sorab Hoshab to: `We are building a new Baluchistan`. Baluchistan that represents a nerve center fundamental CPEC and that, according to its inhabitants, is intended not to benefit in any way of the model of Chinese – Pakistani style development. On the contrary, is intended to become even more an occupied region: militarily by the army in Islamabad, economically by the Chinese. On the other hand, in the region are waving already together with the Pakistani flag and the Chinese, to emphasize the friendship between the two countries and the dependence increasingly total of Islamabad from Beijing. That is slowly becoming aware of the crawl space where you went to hunt by investing in a corridor economic whose constant is only that of cross disputed territories, in revolt against the central government and high risk of terrorism. Thus Pakistan, instead of looking for a way to resolve once and for all in a consistent and democratic manner some of the issues on the table, recurs as usual to the use of the force occupying militarily, in fact, all the areas crossed by CPEC. And in particular Baluchistan, where to protect the port of Gwadar was created a special task force of the navy, the TF-88, equipped with ships, drones, monitoring tools and monitoring and aircraft. The creation of TF-88 follows a presumed discovery by Islamabad, an Indian submarine in the territorial waters of Pakistan. After days and weeks of statements sponsored by the government and army on the phantom submarine, is coming out the TF-88. To protect Chinese investment and please Beijing? Certainly. But above all to reaffirm the presence of the enemy at the gates that makes it essential for the role of the army and the control of the fact of the generals on civil government. Meanwhile, according to reports, after the completion of the CPEC the native population of Balochistan will be outnumbered by 2048. Gwadar is the ultimate destination of the CPEC while Balochistan is the least-populated province of Pakistan with rich natural resources.
These characteristics attract people to settle in Baluchistan, while the CPEC will facilitate people to travel and settle in the province.
It is quite obvious that ethnic patterns of population distribution will be affected by the inflow of people from China and other parts of Pakistan. At present Balochis are 55 per cent of the total population of Balochistan. The current growth rate of Balochistan’s population is 2.36 per cent. The stimulation results based on the existing rate of migration from China at 0.44 persons per thousand and rate of population growth at 0.43 per cent, predict that the share of Chinese in Balochistan’s population is destined to increase with the completion of the CPEC and by 2045 Chinese population may be greater than the population of people of Pakistani origin in the province. The optimistic aspect of the CPEC is the speedy developing infrastructure and improving livelihood conditions in Balochistan. The incoming investors and settlers may offer attractive prices for land acquisition- even better than the growing market value. 
This situation provides good financial opportunities to the poor natives of Balochistan. However, Balochs ask one question that how the unskilled people of the province will maintain their lives without land ownership which is their only asset? the report said. But the answer to this question depends on the government policy regarding protection of the rights of investors, foreign workers and immigrants.
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