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A Conference on CPEC: Vision 2025 & Belt and Road Initiative

Conference on CPEC was arranged by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform in PPMI on 3rd of April, 2018. CPEC was discussed in detail by some prominent personalities.  
Numlians (Department of IR) were especially invited by the Ministry to take part in the conference on the outspread topic of the world. Students were joined in the seminar by the Muhammad Asim Khan (Spokesperson of Ministry of PD&R), MR. Hassan Daud Butt (Project Director- CPEC Support Project), Hon Minister Prof Ahsan Iqbal (Minister of PD&R, Minister of Interior), Dr. Adnan Sarwar Khan (HOD of IR Department of NUML), Saadia Saif Niazi (lecturer of IR in NUML).



Sir Ahsan Iqbal With Dr. Adnan Sarwar Khan (HOD of NUML IR Department)


Introductory Remarks & Significance of Development Discourse was debated by Mr. Asim Khan, students were given the latest updates on the project of CPEC by the project director of CPEC, Mr Hassan Daud Butt and Ahsan Iqbal exchanged views on CPEC: Vision 2015 & BRI. 
The aim to conduct this conference was to create a positive frame of mind of students toward CPEC. 
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a four plus one formula and a collection of projects- in Pakistan- worth $62 billion USD. It has four components/pillars and fifth is the CPEC itself. CPEC aims to rapidly expand and upgrade Pakistani infrastructure through the construction of highways, railways, Industries and pipelines linking Gwadar in Pakistan to China.
As part of infrastructure many projects have been started worth approximately $11 billion, and 1,100 kilometer long motorway will be constructed between the cities of Karachi and Lahore, while the Karakoram Highway between Rawalpindi and the Chinese border will be completely reconstructed and overhauled. The Karachi–Peshawar main railway line will also be upgraded to allow for train travel at up to 160 kilometers per hour by December 2019. Pakistan's railway network will also be extended to eventually connect to China's Southern Xinjiang Railway in Kashgar. A network of pipelines to transport liquefied natural gas and oil will also be laid as part of the project, including a $2.5 billion pipeline between Gwadar and Nawabshah to transport gas from Iran. Oil from the Middle East could be offloaded at Gwadar and transported to China through the corridor.  
CPEC is labelled as another East India Company, which is wholly a wrong concept in younger generation's mind. It was cleared by the Sir Hassan Daud Butt and advised Pakistanis to make themselves strong so that no nation would be able to control Pakistan in future, not even China. 
Pakistan would be in top twenties in 2025 in terms of its economy which means CPEC is going to benefit Pakistan in a much larger term than ever before. 
The CPEC will open doors to immense economic opportunities not only to Pakistan but will physically connect China to its markets in Asia, Europe and beyond. Almost 80% of the China’s oil is currently transported from Strait of Malacca to Shanghai, with Gwadar becoming operational, the distance would reduce to less than 5,000 km. If all goes well and on schedule, of the 21 agreements on energy– including gas, coal and solar energy– 14 will be able to provide up to 10,400 megawatts (MW) of energy by March 2018. According to China Daily, these projects would provide up to 16,400 MW of energy altogether. Economic corridor is explicitly designed to stimulate economic development. In order to overcome its energy crisis, Pakistan needs to articulate an industry and trade boosting programme to gain from the CPEC in terms of additional business opportunities, apart from temporary jobs. The fact that the lion’s share of CPEC-related investment will be allocated to projects in the energy sector, to help Pakistan overcome its chronic energy crisis, is a solid indication that the China-Pakistan corridor honours its official designation as an economic corridor. Most of the energy projects are being financed under a build-own-operate model. In this scenario, Chinese investors are entering the Pakistani energy market as independent power providers with special protection guarantees. Chinese independent power-providers are assured an 18% return on their investment, whereas the rest are getting a 17% return for their equity; and some complain that this would distort the level playing field. This, like the establishment of exclusive Chinese special economic or industrial zones should be managed with extreme caution in order to avoid potential sinophobic feelings that might hinder the implementation of the CPEC. In any case, if the energy projects are implemented and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority is able to set prices that are acceptable to investors and consumers, the spillover effect on the Pakistani economy will be colossal.
It will help in promoting exports, people to people interaction and social structure, agriculture, financial cooperation, creation of 400,000 jobs, increase trade route and energy requirements.   
This improved connectivity to sea port and airports is just one aspect of the CPEC’s influence on trade flows. Another important change would occur in the modes of shipment. Sea transport is relatively cheap, road transport is the cheapest. 

Conclusion:
The CPEC will give a tremendous boost to Pakistan’s trade with China. CPEC is a game changer for the region not only Pakistan and China will get benefits but all other countries will also be benefited as well. Definitely the companies of other countries which export goods and services to China would like to use the proposed route because of less shipping cost and transit time. Land locked central Asian countries (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) would also get benefits of shortest way to sea port of Gwadar which is only at a distance of 2500 km as compared to Iran (4500 km) and Turkey (5000 km). This route not only serves China but also European countries, Middle Eastern countries and land locked central Asian Countries.

 In the end Saadia Saif Niazi (Lecturer of NUML IR Department) presented shield to the Interior Minister Sir Ahsan Iqbal. 




Group photo Of Numlians with guests





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