The Socio-Economic Pulse of CPEC: A Granular Analysis of Impact in Balochistan and Gwadar

Abstract

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is often described as a geopolitical game-changer; nevertheless, the local implications of the initiative on the province of Balochistan demonstrate the developmental irony of its revelation. This paper applies a qualitative, interpretivist approach the synthesis of elite interviews and community-level narratives to explore the two-sided nature of the impact of CPEC in Gwadar. The economic analysis of the research shows that although the corridor has resolved the systemic energy shortages and has developed the national infrastructure, it has also increased marginalization at the local level. This is confirmed by the prevailing skill deficit that locks out the native labour force and the dislocation of the traditional lives, that is, the artisanal fishing industry. In addition to fiscal indicators, the researchers also find that there are substantial non-economic consequences, such as acute demographic anxiety, securitization of the public space, and the strategic neglect of the health and educational sectors. This study will examine the convergence of big capital inflow with the daily lives of local societies to suggest that the long-term sustainability of CPEC depends on the capacity to overcome the social friction and human-related issues caused by the project. It is concluded at the end of the paper that in the absence of constitutional protection of local population and social investment that is inclusive, CPEC may turn into an enclave of development that further divides the region instead of repairing it.