A United Nations report stated that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor may further aggravate tension between two nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan.
The report “The Belt and Road initiative and the Role of ESCAP’ ” was released by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific at the behest of China.
The report expressed concerns over the Pak-India dispute over Kashmir and stated that geopolitical tensions will surmount in the wake of CPEC initiative, causing further political instability in the South-East Asia region.
The report inter alia mentions that social and environmental factors are pivotal to the initiative. CPEC may cause displacement of local communities. Speaking of demographic changes the report mentions, “In Balochistan, there are concerns that migrants from other regions of Pakistan will render ethnic Baloch a minority in the province.”
Elaborating on the demographic concerns, it said that Hazaras might face a similar fate too. “If the benefits of the proposed CPEC are reaped by large conglomerates, linked to Chinese of purely Punjabi interests, the identity and culture of the local population could be further marginalised.” Ethnic tensions will re-ignite and separatist movement may gather force, leading to tougher state response, the report said.
Concerns regarding the destruction of farmlands and orchards were also expressed in the report. It mentions that CPEC is planned across “already narrow strip of cultivable land in the mountainous western Pakistan”.
Including the political dimensions of Afghanistan, it says that “the potential benefits of transit corridors to population centres near Kabul or Kandahar” may be limited due to prevailing political instability in Pakistan’s western neighbour.
On the bright side, the report highlights growth and development prospects for Pakistan. “China will support development projects in Pakistan and much-needed investment to address energy shortages and a stagnating economy.”
“CPEC could additionally serve as the driver for trade and economic integration between China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Afghanistan and the Central Asian States,” it further said.