ISLAMABAD - A Senator from Balochistan fearing enormous demographic changes to the province with regard to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has demanded of the government to enact legislation to protect the native people of the province from anticipated influx of new arrivals there.
The senator also warned the government that the current roads, in Sorab, Panjgor, Turbat, Baisma and Gawdar, which the government intends to make part of the CPEC, are not able to take more than 12 to 15 tons weight.
“We are not against the Gwadar deep sea port, CPEC or any other developmental project but if it is meant to marginalize the native people and make them like Red Indians then we will not allow it to happen,” Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi told The Nation.
“This CPEC project is a huge project with $46 billion investment and if not tackled with proper protective legislative measures will make us (native Baluchis) the Red Indians,” he said.
He explained that the roads of Baluchistan being upgraded to make them part of the CPEC will not be able to take heavy truck loads as they are designed to take only 12 to 15 tons of load.
“I was the Nazim of that area, during Musharraf government, and these roads were constructed under my supervision and were able to carry the light loads of up to 15 tons. But Chinese are investing billions of dollars and they are not going to carry just 12 or 15 tons of loads, he said adding that their truck will carry 100s of tons of load. Now the government is showing these roads and giving the impression as they are being constructed under the CPEC.
These roads should be upgraded for the heavy load and should be constructed four lanes. He said the government should invest some money of the $46 billion CPEC fund for improving the roads that are part of the economic corridor project in Baluchistan.
Kabeer is also a member of the Senate Special Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), where he is vocal for the local people of Gwadar and Makran in general and Baluchistan in particular.
“I have raised the issue with the Federal Minister for Planning and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal in this regard and he told him to furnish the local people’s apprehension in written and the government will accommodate their concerns in their policy,” he informed. This is a serious issue and cannot be resolved with lip service and other cosmetic measures he said, adding that all the political parties should support the legislation in this respect.
“I am not talking something new; it is also mentioned in the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan that legislation will be done before any developmental project in Gwadar to protect the local people from any demographic changes”, he maintained.
The government needs to introduce a legislation to stop the demographic change which the Baluchs fear to come with the CPEC project, he said. The CPEC project will bring an army, 50000 to 60000, of settlers to the province that will dominate the local people both politically and economically as the new arrivals will be more in numbers and advanced in their skills and the locals will never be able to compete with them, Mir Kabeer added.
When asked what sort of demographic legislation he is expecting from the government to introduce, Mir Kabeer replied that first the settlers should not be allowed to have the right to vote as it will make them politically dominant. “Currently we win the election by getting few thousands, 3000 to 4000 for provincial and 80000 to 10000 votes for the National Assembly. Suppose if 50000 settlers come to my constituency how will we compete with them,” he said.
Secondly, the new arrivals should not be given the right to get Baluchistan domicile as it will give them permanent right in the local jobs and also make them eligible for vote and property rights. The government should also introduce new law regarding purchase of land by non-locals. Locals must be given preference in all the jobs as it is their right, he maintained.
Mir Kabir also asked the government to work for the socioeconomic uplift of the people of Gwadar and adjoining areas, under the CECP, to raise the living standard of the people of Gwadar. “Usually new projects bring prosperity but the construction of Gwadar port brought miseries for the locals as it has snatched the only source of their livelihood, the fisheries. Now they don’t have bread to eat, water to drink and shoes to wear,” he added.