The sponsored media campaign against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan has resurfaced, indicating delays and derailment, causing a huge loss to economic growth, infrastructure development, trans-regional connectivity, industrial productivity and hybrid agriculture.

Moreover, the 14th JCC outcome has further accelerated negative sentiments about CPEC among various chambers of commerce, blaming the poor performance of the Planning Commission and its ministry for wasting time on self-projection while ignoring the basics of project management.

The drastic shift in regional socio-economic, geopolitical and global geostrategic trends is affecting the pace and productivity of CPEC. Pakistan’s new balancing act, looking towards the West, gives a confusing impression in Beijing. However, Pakistan’s evolving diplomacy has serious irritants causing an invisible trust deficit, disharmony and displeasure among various capitals, directly affecting CPEC. Now, so-called pseudo-intellectuals in the country are exploring the idea of building Pak-US and Pak-Saudi corridors instead of promoting CPEC Phase 2.0. This is alarming, indicating a possible policy shift in Islamabad, which must be rectified for the early implementation of CPEC Phase 2.0.

Despite Pakistan’s new diplomatic endeavors, there are serious socio-economic and geopolitical limitations. Merely walking swiftly towards Washington, Brussels and Riyadh will achieve nothing but further complexities with our time-tested friends. Thus, a balanced foreign policy, economic maneuvering, social affiliation and political alignment through military-civil equilibrium and better understanding should be the need of the hour.

The China-Bangladesh-Pakistan trilateral dialogue has increased the strategic importance of CPEC in the days to come. However, the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral cooperation has come under strain because of recent massive attacks from Kabul supporting the TTP and other terrorist groups working........

© Pakistan Observer