Roundup: Pakistani experts call for enhanced measures to successfully implement CPEC amid challenges

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani experts and academics on Thursday called for enhanced measures to successfully implement the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the backdrop of the recent Pakistan-India tensions and rising security concerns in the region.

There is the need of strategic regional alliances, robust internal reforms, economic resilience, and proactive diplomatic engagements to overcome emerging challenges, while ensuring the CPEC's sustainable and transformative potential for Pakistan and the broader region, said the experts during a seminar on CPEC security organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), an Islamabad-based Think Tank.

Speaking on the occasion, Jauhar Saleem, president of the IRS, said that alongside the kinetic challenges faced by the CPEC project, Pakistan must also recognize other issues, such as limited economic resources and a lack of institutional capacity, highlighting the government's role in this regard.

Underscoring the importance of the CPEC, he said the CPEC, a flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has been delivering benefits at the grassroots level and creating jobs in Pakistan, helping alleviate security challenges.

"If approached as a technology-driven initiative, CPEC can have a significant impact on economic development. The progress generated by CPEC will benefit not just one country, but also stimulate regional economic stability and play a crucial role in promoting peace," he added.

Muhammad Samrez Salik, a strategist and CPEC expert, said a strategic regional alliance is needed to stabilize the region, adding that internally, robust reforms addressing terrorism, corruption, political instability, and bureaucratic inefficiencies are essential for the sustainable development of CPEC.

Azaz Syed, an Islamabad-based Pakistani journalist and author, expressed concerns over increased instability in the border region. He urged the government to empower local communities to significantly mitigate exploitation opportunities for external forces.

On the occasion, Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, a political economist and chief executive officer of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development, said Pakistan needs to adapt to shifting global economic paradigms, promote its strengths and economic potential, and enhance regional and international cooperation through the effective implementation of the CPEC. Enditem