CPEC benefits must be shared: Seminar

Quetta: The need for sharing of the benefits of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in terms of job creation for the locals was highlighted as one of the strongest demands by the locals at a seminar on ‘National Identity and Cohesion’ held at University of Balochistan (UB).

The seminar was organized in a collaborative effort of Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) and the Area Study Center of University of Balochistan.

The feeling of alienation amongst the population from CPEC projects including Gwadar Port’s development was mainly due to lack of palpable benefits to the locals, the speakers stressed.

The keynote speaker was the Vice Chancellor of University, Dr Shafiqur Rehman, who highlighted the issues affecting the national cohesion of the federation.

The Director research IPRI Brigadier Raashid Wali (retd) highlighted the over-arching concept of the Grand National Dialogue under the aegis of which the seminar was taking place and emphasized the desire of the think tank community to engage the youth in constructive dialogue.

In his speech, Senator Anwar Kakar said the poor governance and the weak planning and execution of the development projects as the main impediments to amelioration of the human security concerns of the province.

He exhorted the students to shun divisive politics and embrace a modern outlook based on educational qualifications and technical skills geared to the needs of modern era rather than fatuous debates and blame games.

Member of Balochistan Assembly Sanaullah Baloch made an impassioned appeal to the federal government to address the human security concerns of the deprived province as highlighted in the UNDP Reports.

The grievances of the Baloch students’ mainly concerned the violation of merit while allocating government jobs and misappropriation of the development funds by the governing elite of the province.