The Baloch House

http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/whats-happening-at-pakistans-gwadar-port/


Despite big promises, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is yet to deliver local benefits.By Zofeen T EbrahimJune 17, 2017
A stray dog snoozes under a red boat lying next to a rickety tea shop on the quay at Sur Bandar, where a few dozen small boats are bobbing in the Arabian Sea. The water is clear and a school of fish is swimming near the shore. The fishermen gather and chat over cups of a strong, sweet concoction they call “doodh-patti” as they watch the world go by. I ask some if they have heard of the much-touted China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but they shake their heads.The harbor front is quiet compared to the one at Gwadar, some 20 kilometers away, where a Chinese deep sea port is under construction, promising to transform the sleepy town into a global trading hub.CPEC is a 3,000-kilometer corridor from Kashgar in western China to Gwadar in Pakistan on the Arabian sea. It slices through the Hima…

http://m.washingtontimes.com/
Illustration on China’s OBER projects by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times more >

More than to enhance trade, China would use the port network to dominate EurasiaBy Dan Negrea - - Monday, September 11, 2017ANALYSIS/OPINION:“President Xi Jinping’s proposal of ‘One Belt, One Road’ is the most significant and far-reaching initiative that China has ever put forward,” wrote influential Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianmin in a 2015 China-U.S. Focus article. Despite official efforts to present OBOR as just an Eurasian economic development initiative, it is a steppingstone to making China a global power. The United States should offer a revived Trans-Pacific Partnership as a superior alternative for Asia’s development.OBOR is a network of highways and railways along the ancient Silk Road that connected China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The road is a network of ports along a maritime route that connects China to Europe via the South China Sea, the In…

https://thediplomat.com/2017/09/who-benefits-from-chinas-belt-and-road-in-the-arctic/

The Arctic implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative merit serious consideration.By Marc LanteigneSeptember 12, 2017

Since becoming a formal observer on the Arctic Council four years ago, China has wasted little time widening and deepening its regional credentials and diplomacy. Just before attaining observer status within the Council, government papers and studies began to habitually refer to China as a ‘near-Arctic state’, (jin beijiguojia 近北极国家), even though that state had no territory in the circumpolar north. The phrase caused some consternation among Arctic governments and other actors out of concern Beijing was seeking to ‘gate-crash’ its way into the region to benefit from the growing economic possibilities in the Arctic in the form of fossil fuels, resources and potential new shipping routes. Cognizant of this, Beijing sought to emphasize scientific diplomacy as the main driver of its p…

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-m-a-financial-analysis/after-roads-and-railways-chinas-silk-road-dealmakers-eye-financial-firms-idUSKCN1BM2UI

Julie Zhu, Sumeet ChatterjeeFILE PHOTO: The logo of insurer Allianz SE is seen on the company tower at La Defense business and financial district in Courbevoie near Paris, France, March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File PhotoHONG KONG (Reuters) - After ports and industrial parks, the dealmakers leading China’s trillion-dollar push to build a modern Silk Road are turning to the financial sector, targeting Europe’s banks, insurers and asset managers to tap funds and expertise.Last week, sources familiar with the matter said two of China’s most acquisitive conglomerates, HNA Group and Anbang Insurance Group, had separately considered bidding for the German insurer Allianz SE (ALVG.DE).Neither of the two made an offer, but the talks marked a new level of ambition for China: Allianz is a German stalwart, a pillar for local pensions and a g…

https://pakobserver.net/nbp-play-active-role-gwadar-cpec/

8President, CEO of Bank visits GCC
Staff ReporterKarachiThe President and CEO of National Bank Pakistan (NBP) Saeed Ahmad visited the Gwadar region to assess prospects for NBP to play an active role for participation in business opportunities and to strategically focus on business developmentactivities in the light of China Pakistan Economic Corridor. He met leading businessmen and addressed the members of the Chamber of Commerce, Gwadar.
The CEO said that Gwadar is emerging to play an important role in the economic future of the country and holds a vital position in the region.
He also had a Town Hall meeting in which all the branch managers in the region and other senior local executives took part.
This was the first ever visit of any President of NBP to this region, which was warmly welcomed by business community and staff. The President and CEO NBP emphasized that the NBP employees in the Gwadar region must work on the eradi…

http://www.kcci.com.pk/Rnd/index.php/2017/07/20/cpec-is-pakistan-ready-to-surf-the-tide-feb-2017/
CHINA PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC): IS PAKISTAN READY TO SURF THE TIDE?Published in: February 2017The initial sections of this report cast a glance on what CPEC offers as a package of projects and what value it stores for both Pakistan and China. The later sections delve upon the challenges faced by Pakistan during and in the aftermath of the project and the final part recommends the required course of action to be taken

http://www.brecorder.com/2017/02/16/337143/how-do-business-chambers-view-cpec-337143/



 BR RESEARCHFEB 16TH, 2017 10:371 VIEWS: 663The stock of research on CPEC is finally growing, but is also stoking the stock of fear. A month after the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) released its study on CPEC, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) is also working on a report on whether Pakistan is ready to surf the CPEC tide or not. Todays piece features a summarised comparison of the two studies.To recall, the FPCCI study on CPEC was one big backgrounder which aptly contextualised things: it focused on Chinas economy, its transition, the context of OBOR, comparative analyses of Pakistan and Chinas economy across a host of macroeconomic, demographic, governance and ease of doing business criteria. It made a passing reference to some of the sectors that have the potential to grow under CPEC or its spillover, but it fell short of presenting a detailed an…

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/229242-KCCI-slams-FPCCIs-comments-on-CPEC-report


KARACHI: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has criticised the apex body regarding the recent comments by its executive member Mian Zafar Iqbal about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said the FPCCI is filching KCCI’s research work, a statement said on Monday.KCCI president Shamim Ahmed Firpo said that the recent comments attributed to an executive member of FPCCI about CPEC are actually taken out from the KCCI’s research report titled “CPEC – Is Pakistan ready to surf the tide”, which was released in February 2017 and it was widely published in some of the leading newspapers.“It is highly unprofessional on the part of an executive member of the apex body to steal the analysis of the KCCI’s research and development department and share the same with media as his personal opinion, which we strongly deplore,” he added.Firpo advised the apex body to focus on improving its own resea…

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/229324-CPEC-to-guaranteesocio-economic-uplift

LAHORE :Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani has said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will prove to be a game-changer not only for the two countries but for the whole region and will guarantee socio-economic development of Pakistan.Addressing inaugural ceremony of international conference on “CPEC: Political, Economic and Social Perspectives” organised by Punjab University Department of History & Pakistan Studies on Monday, the minister claimed time would come when 1 dollar would be equivalent to 2 Pakistani rupees.PU’s Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Taqi Zahid Butt, Director General Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Dr Shahid Soroya, Dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof Dr Iqbal Chawla, Vice Chancellor Benazir Shaheed Bhutto University Peshawar Prof Dr Razia Sultana, Director History Department Nanjing University China Prof Dr Yu Wenjie, Vice President Nanjing Univer…

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/09/11/cpec-will-guarantee-a-prosperous-pakistan-raza-ali-gillani/


Lahore13 HOURS AGO BY AGENCIES
LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will prove to be a game changer for not only two countries but for the whole region. The minister said this while addressing the inauguration session of a three-day International CPEC Conference in Punjab University (PU) arranged by Department of History and Pakistan Studies, in collaboration with Higher Education Department Punjab.Raza Ali Gillani said that CPEC is an important milestone to a developed and prosperous Pakistan. The success of this historical project will also bring overseas Pakistanis back to their motherland with honor and grace, he added. He said that the completion of CPEC and Gwadar Port will boost economic activities in Pakistan and the value of Pakistani Rupee will enhance many times. PU Acting Vice Chancello…

http://www.brecorder.com/2017/09/12/368810/china-supports-pakistan-on-vital-issues-mushahid-hussain/


FAWADMAQSOOD SEP 12TH, 2017 01:110 VIEWS: 28ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Mushahid Hussain Syed said China had always supported Pakistan at international forums on issues of economy and security. Talking to APP, he said it was a wrong impression that India has started to dominate the relationship of Pakistan and China. Mushahid, who is also chairman of CPEC committee, said the same things stated in BRIC conference were expressed a year before in Heart of Asia Conference in December 2016. Pakistan and China participated in that conference in Amritsar, he said adding the names of organizations taken in the BRIC conference were not owned by Pakistan. He said Pakistan also had the same viewpoint which was expressed by China during the conference. Foreign Offices of Pakistan and China were in touch about their stance, he added. He said Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan …

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_59b6bad0e4b0e4419674c37e

09/11/2017 12:34 pm ET Updated 8 hours agoByLin Wang, Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center in WashingtonAdvertisementNote: this analysis originally appeared in the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Bulletin policy brief series on September 7, 2017. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the East-West Center or any organization with which the author is affiliated. China and Pakistan have long maintained diplomatic and military ties. However, close economic cooperation is a more recent development. The flagship project of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — is expected to provide $40 billion in Chinese investments to Pakistan. CPEC is not only a strong economic boon for Pakistan’s economic growth in the next three to five years, but also an opportunity for Pakistan to stabilize its socie…

http://thebalochistanpoint.com/controversies-fill-air-about-uobs-administrative-and-financial-matters/


By: YousafAjab BalochAn hunger strike by the activists of different students’ organizations staged outside the Quetta Press Club in protest against incumbent administration of University of Balochistan (UoB) has entered its 125 day. UoB is the largest and the only university in Balochistan’s capital city Quetta, where students of province can acquire higher education with a reasonable fee structure.Abrar Barkat, 25, a physically worn out but determined student in the hunger strike camp expressed his determination to continue with the protest along with his colleagues until their demands are met which include decrease in fee structure, end to ongoing alleged corruption, nepotism, degradation of teachers and students in the name of security and other irregularities in the varsity.As per HEC rules, 10% increase in fees structure is prescribed annually. Nevertheless, it is reported that 1…

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/11/c_136601511.htm

Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-11 23:14:03|Editor: yanEditor's Note: China is rolling out a major documentary series on its diplomatic principles, practices and achievements over the past five years. The English-language version of the program will soon be available on TV and online. To help the audience better understand Chinese diplomacy, Xinhua is releasing a variety of reports that include anecdotes, quotable quotes, facts and figures.BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The following is a selection of keywords related to China's foreign policy and their explanations:The Belt and Road Initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.In a speech titled "Promote People-to-People Friendship and Create a Better Future" delivered at Kazakhstan's…

PTI | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017Karachi, Sep 11 (PTI) Pakistani authorities have found two bodies in the mountainous area of Mastung district in the restive Balochistan province, with officials saying that the bodies might be of the two Chinese nationals ? a man and a woman ? who were kidnapped in Quetta in May.Samples from the bodies found on Thursday have been sent to Islamabad for a DNA test to ascertain their identity.×A senior government official said the test was being done to ascertain identity of the deceased as the bodies were in bad condition and beyond recognition. "To be honest, they are just skeletons," the official said.ADVERTISINGinRead invented by TeadsChinese officials have been approached to get samples from relatives of the kidnapped man and woman for the DNA test, the Dawn reported.Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were abducted from Quetta in Balochistan on May 24 and later murdered. The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for their killing.The…

The abduction of Baloch women by Pakistani state enforcement agencies is reaching alarming proportions. Baloch women and children whom are at the forefront of demonstrations against kill and dump and enforced disappearances are now being routinely abducted and taken to secret locations. Their disappearance, torture and rape is a crime against humanity and an extension of Pakistan's ethnic cleansing programme. These abominable crimes including the breaking of teeth and pulling off of nails as well as the cutting off of pieces of flesh are done in front of their children in order to instill fear. Many have already lost their lives in the indiscriminate aerial bombardments.These are direct violations of Articles 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Pakistan must be brought to justice for war crimes against Baloch women.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1094180

SaherBalochUpdated March 19, 2014

A ranger stands beside the discovered graves in Tootak. — Photo by Fahim Siddiqui/White Star Muhammed Zabad was watching the evening news on a Balochi-language television channel on January 17, 2014, in his ancestral home in Awaran district’s Peer Andar town. Suddenly, a news report flashed across the screen: Mass graves had been discovered in the Tootak area of Khuzdar district. Soon, other channels began airing the same report. Zabad flipped the channels and moved on to watching something else.Two weeks later, the news report came back to haunt him — this time in the form of a personal tragedy. On January 31, he received a phone call from an official of the Balochistan government who told him that his brother Naseer Ahmed could be among the 13 people whose bodies had been found in the mass graves. “I was asked to come to a government hospital in Khuzdar to identify my brother,” Zabad tells the Herald, on the phone fr…