6. Is CPEC Marshall Plan of South Asia?
Some Pakistani officials refer CPEC as a Marshall Plan. In my opinion, this is an insult to the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan, among other things wanted to empower people. It aimed to strengthen democracies and alleviate poverty and misery. It wanted to enrich people and educate people by establishing new infrastructure, and by establishing new schools, colleges and universities; and investing in new industries and new technology. American Secretary of State, George Marshall said:
‘Our policy is not directed against any country, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Any government that is willing to assist in recovery will find full co-operation on the part of the USA. Its purpose
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The Pakistani society, unfortunately is corrupt to the core; and nothing moves without the greasing the wheels of corruption. Officials employed to help and serve the society will not move a file until they are given a lump sum under the table.
Compared to the European countries Pakistan has no agenda of helping refugees or restoring infrastructure. Restoring means structure already existed. The Europeans countries had know - how and technical ability to restore what was destroyed in the war. Pakistan, on the other hand, wants to build a new infrastructure and heavily relies on financial and technical support of China.
CPEC was not initiated because the recipient, Pakistan was recovering from a war. Pakistan is there because of rampant corruption, military rules, extremism, terrorism and very bad governance.
There was a democratic system in America, so they wanted to ensure that with help of their funds economic and political stability is established where civil society and democratic institutions can
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They think the CPEC will alleviate poverty and help the government to eradicate extremism, terrorism and insurgency. They believe Pakistan can soon be an ‘Asian tiger’.
To make this mega project successful, and to transform Pakistan as an Asian tiger, they need immaculate planning and corruption free implementation, which is nearly impossible to get in present day Pakistan. The infrastructure they have in Gwadar, and in most of Balochistan is far from standards required in modern cities in the 21st century. One can say it is primitive. Interestingly, electricity in Gwadar is supplied by Iran, and people have to go to Karachi to get a reasonable medical treatment.1
The people of Gwadar do not have good schools, colleges, universities and technical institutes to equip people with necessary skills to administer different projects and run the city effectively. With the prevailing situation one has a right to ask what exactly is being built in Gwadar? And more appropriately, how can people concentrate on other issues when they don’t have basic facilities like clean water and basic medical