Gilgit / Geneva, Aug 01 (ANI): Anger is mounting high in Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) over both Pakistan and China exploiting their resources in a reckless manner for selfish economic gain. The residents are strongly opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it has failed to provide any tangible benefits for them. China is investing over 40 billion dollars for its ambitious 3,000-km-long economic corridor that will link western China to southern Pakistan through a network of roads, railway lines and pipelines. The project is being touted as bringing about a spectacular socio-economic change in the region, but alienated residents currently feel that both China and Pakistan are past masters in lies and deceit, as before firming up the project, all stakeholders were not consulted. Pakistan, which suffers from a huge power crisis, draws its electricity mostly from Gilgit Baltistan, but ironically none of the power projects have presence in the region – thus depriving Gilgit of potential royalties. Activists and locals have raised concerns that CPEC project will create a huge ecological imbalance. Locals are dejected as presence of Chinese workers in the region has left them without jobs. The CPEC is being seen as a sheer attempt to exploit the resource-rich region. China has its economic interest in disputed Gilgit Baltistan and PoK region. It is engaged in construction, ranging from dams, highways and ports. There is a growing resentment among locals over China’s presence in the region. To fulfill the requirements of the project, the government and the army are forcibly acquiring the ancestral land of the locals in Gilgit Baltistan. In an effort to provide legal cover to the multi-billion dollar Chinese investments, Pakistan is even considering elevating the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan. However, the local population is completely against it. Gilgit-Baltistan region was illegally acquired by Pakistan in 1947. Since then the beleaguered region has suffered badly as the administration has failed miserably to provide basic facilities to the local population.
