CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR LOCAL INHABITANTS OF GWADAR, BALOCHISTAN

Authors

  • Zahid Ali Ph.D. Scholar Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar & Lecturer Department of Sociology, University of Turbat M-8, CPEC Road, Turbat, Balochistan, Pakistan Corresponding Author
  • Noor Sanauddin Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Email: noor.sanauddin@uop.edu.pkAssociate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55733/jpcs.v4i1.60

Keywords:

CPEC,, Gwadar,, Opportunities,, Challenges,, Local inhabitants,, Socio-economic

Abstract

This research explores the opportunities and challenges provided by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), focusing on its positive and negative impacts on the economy of the local inhabitants of Gwadar. Gwadar, being the hub of CPEC, has gained national and international attention. This study strives to explore the socio-economic impacts of CPEC on inhabitants, and how the local people perceive the impacts of mega-development projects on their lives and livelihood. This study has adopted qualitative research methodology with grounded theory for data collection and analysis. Extensive ethnographic fieldwork has been carried out in Gwadar city and data has been collected through a variety of methods, including personal observations and in-depth interviews with sixty-six participants belonging to various groups - fisherfolks, relocated people, daily wage laborers, local political workers, government officials, small businesspersons, and students. The findings demonstrate that at the beginning of the project, the inhabitants had much higher expectations of improvement in their socio-economic well-being; however, over time, they faced multiple challenges to their livelihood, such as poverty, vulnerability, relocation, lack of marketable skills, scarcity of potable water, and electricity load shedding, which, according to local inhabitants, has made their lives miserable in many aspects. The locals appreciate the mega projects and have benefited in many ways, but feel isolated and excluded from the process, leading to feelings of alienation in their city. The study recommended policy measures for mainstreaming the local people into the growing economy of Gwadar.

Author Biographies

Zahid Ali, Ph.D. Scholar Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar & Lecturer Department of Sociology, University of Turbat M-8, CPEC Road, Turbat, Balochistan, Pakistan Corresponding Author

Zahid Ali is a lecturer at the Department of Sociology at the University of Turbat in Balochistan. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar. Zahid Ali is a RASTA fellow at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). He completed a research project as a Principal Investigator (PI) funded by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) under the competitive research grants of RASTA. The project is titled “The Perspective of Native People Regarding Developmental Projects of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gwadar, Balochistan”. He and his supervisor/Co-PI Dr. Noor Sanauddin completed the research project and published a research article in The Pakistan Development Review. He has co-authored a book Chapter with his supervisor/Dr. Noor Sanauddin and submitted it to the China Study Center at BUITEMS, Quetta for publication which has been accepted for publication.

Noor Sanauddin, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Email: noor.sanauddin@uop.edu.pkAssociate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Noor Sanauddin is working as an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Peshawar. Dr Noor Sanauddin earned his PhD from the University of Glasgow, UK where he also remained a teacher at the School of Social and Political Sciences. Dr. Noor Sanauddin has extensive experience in teaching and research and has published widely in national and international journals. He has particular interests and expertise in ethnographic and qualitative research and has completed a dozen research projects funded by government and non-governmental organizations. Related to CPEC, Dr. Noor Sanauddin recently published a research article in the Pakistan Development Review (PDR), and a book chapter on CPEC is expected to be published in a couple of months.

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Additional Files

Published

29-12-2023

How to Cite

Ali, Z., & Sanauddin, N. (2023). CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR LOCAL INHABITANTS OF GWADAR, BALOCHISTAN. Journal of Pakistan-China Studies (JPCS), 4(1), 77–102. https://doi.org/10.55733/jpcs.v4i1.60

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2023): Dec-2023

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Articles

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