The Baloch House

http://www.asgam.com/cover-stories/item/4540-gaming-development-outlook-along-the-belt-and-road.html
Gaming development outlook along the Belt and RoadWednesday, 04 April 2018 14:08
Michael Zhu, SVP of International Planning and Analysis for The Innovation Group, delves into the benefits that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt and One Road” initiative will bring to Asia’s gaming industry.By Michael ZhuPRIOR to the current recovery of Macau’s gaming malaise, stakeholders in the Asian gaming industry often heard that China’s anti-corruption campaign, which began in the fall of 2012, was one of the primary factors attributed to the substantial decline of gross gaming revenue in Macau (as well as the surrounding regions).In contrast, there is another initiative, proposed and supported by the same regime, that appears not to have attracted as many headlines but could have meaningful implications regarding the outlook of Asian gaming development and progress.THE “ONE BELT AND ONE ROAD” …

https://warontherocks.com/2018/04/china-welcomes-its-newest-armed-force-the-coast-guard/
CHINA WELCOMES ITS NEWEST ARMED FORCE: THE COAST GUARDLYLE MORRISAPRIL 4, 2018COMMENTARYThere is no consensus on the missions and organizational structure of coast guards around the world. Most countries conceive of them as actors under civilian control deployed to maintain good order at sea, save lives, and protect the environment. There are outliers, of course. The United States Coast Guard, under the Department of Homeland Security, is one of America’s five armed forces and has an explicit defense readinessmission. The French have the Maritime Gendarmerie — a paramilitary police force under the operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. These are the exception rather than the rule.But China appears to have seen merit in the latter model, having recently transferred administrative control of its coast guard from civilian to military authority. The decision may have far-reaching…

https://www.reuters.com/article/column-russell-china-beltroad/column-damp-squib-or-next-commodity-super-cycle-the-belt-and-road-dilemma-russell-idUSL4N1RH38YDamp squib or next commodity super-cycle? The Belt and Road dilemma: RussellReuters Staff(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.)* GRAPHIC: China's BRI initiative: tmsnrt.rs/2njAVmwBy Clyde RussellHONG KONG, April 4 (Reuters) - China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of those rare things that virtually everybody seems to have heard about, but equally, very few people can actually claim to have a detailed understanding of what it means.This dichotomy was in evidence at the Belt and Road conference, hosted by Mines and Money, in Hong Kong on Tuesday, with views ranging from the BRI will be the driver of a new super-cycle for commodities to that it’s more of a marketing slogan aimed at boosting the image and influence of the government in Beijing.On the side of thinking of the BRI as a…

https://pakobserver.net/nation-united-to-foil-attempts-to-create-lawlessness-in-balochistan-president/Nation united to foil attempts to create lawlessness in Balochistan: PresidentApril 5, 2018QuettaPresident Mamnoon Hussain Wednesday said the Pakistani nation was strong and united and all attempts by its overt and covert enemies to create dissent and lawlessness in Balochistan would foil miserably. Addressing the 9th convocation of the Sardar Bahadur Khan University, he said a handful of vested interests and some enemies of Pakistan were trying to stop the people of Balochistan benefit from their resource-rich province and to gain from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
However, he said, the people of Balochistan were fully aware of all such conspiracies and united in thwarting all such ventures. He said the people of Balochistan were true Pakistanis and would not let anyone threaten the solidarity of the country. The president said the country’s national political leadersh…

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/04/04/dr-marris-decision-to-denounce-separatist-movement-welcomed-in-balochistan/


National13 HOURS AGO BY APPShare this on WhatsAppKOHLU: A huge congregation was held at Kohlu, Balochistan on Wednesday to welcome self-exiled Baloch leader Dr Jumma Khan Marri’s decision of disassociating himself from the Baloch separatist movement and to join the national mainstream.The event started in the form of a rally that was taken out from Kohlu’s Bank Chowk, with participants carrying banners that welcomed the decision of Dr Marri. Several tribal elders from the area also attended the gathering.Addressing from Moscow, Dr Marri thanked the people of Pakistan, especially his supporters in Kohlu, for arranging such a big congregation to welcome his decision.He said that projects like Gwadar port and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would change the fate of Balochistan. All those opposing these projects were not only the enemies of Pakistan but were also …

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/300541-security-forces-kill-two-terrorists-in-balochistan
APPApril 4, 2018

ListenRAWALPINDI: Security forces on Wednesday killed two terrorists in Pinsin Kaur, surrounding area of Dasht, district Turbat and Dera Bugti.According to a statement issued by Inter Services Public Relations, the terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence based operation (IBO), conducted by security forces in support of Khushhal Balochistan programme.A Frontier Corps Balochistan soldier also embraced Shahadat.Cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered. The IBO was carried out as part of ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad

http://www.atimes.com/article/pakistan-seeks-bailout-china-saudis-rather-imf/ASIA TIMESPAKISTANDEBT CRISISPakistan seeks bailout from China and Saudis, rather than the IMFOfficials have sought financial help from Beijing and Riyadh instead of the International Monetary Fund to manage the country's grim economic positionBy FM SHAKILAPRIL 4, 2018 4:57 PM (UTC+8)905A Pakistani currency dealer counts Chinese yuan for a customer at his shop in Quetta on January 3. But officials now want to use the Pakistani rupee to pay for imports for a massive Chinese project. Photo: AFP/ Banaras KhanPakistan plans to seek financial assistance from China and Saudi Arabia to get out of the grave financial crisis it faces to bridge the country’s external account deficit ahead of budgetary proposals for the 2018-19 fiscal year.A well-placed source in the Ministry of Finance told Asia Times that instead of approaching the International Monetary Funds (IMF) for a bailout, officials have proposed that the …

https://pakobserver.net/cpec-obor-and-stability/

CPECCPEC, OBOR and stabilityApril 4, 2018Imtiaz Rafi ButtWHEN President Xi Jinping of China spoke on the One Belt One Road initiative, he referred to it as, a massive program of globalization, “We have no intention to form a small group detrimental to stability, what we hope to create is a big family of harmonious co-existence”, said Mr. Xi. Since the dawn of human civilization, rising superpowers have always opted for aggressive expansion and competitive advantages, on the contrary, China in 2018, is a rising power that is choosing a different path to progress and dominance. The central idea is simply, the promotion of globalized stability. If this philosophy is to succeed, it would be the first of its kind. Fortunately, Pakistan is at the forefront of this noble endeavour.
Geo-political scholars and statesman around the world are of the view that CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and OBOR (One Belt One Road Initiative) will creat…

https://www.dawn.com/news/1399447

Amir WasimUpdated April 04, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Some members of the federal cabinet on Tuesday raised concern over the fact that agriculture had been totally ignored in the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), sources told Dawn.Responding to the objections by the ministers during the cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who is also heading the planning and development division, admitted that agriculture had not been included in the first phase of CPEC, but claimed that the sector had already started receiving benefits from the ongoing energy projects.The concern was raised by Minister for National Food Security and Research Sika­ndar Bosan and Privatisation Minister Daniyal Aziz during a briefing by the officials concerned to the cabinet on CPEC projects.Mr Iqbal explained that due to the conversion of tube-wells from diesel to solar and electric power, the fuel cost had already come down benefitting farmers. He said that…

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1676839/1-cpec-add-17000-mw-power-national-grid-cabinet-told/

CPEC to add 17,000MW power to national grid, cabinet toldBy Sardar SikanderPublished: April 4, 2018
power consumers are likely to get a relief of Rs2.19 per unit in lieu of fuel price adjustment formula PHOTO: REUTERSISLAMABAD: Various energy sector projects being set up under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will contribute over 17,000 megawatts of energy to the national grid on completion, a top-level huddle was told on Tuesday.“CPEC would significantly help towards ensuring inclusive development especially the socio-economic development of the less-developed areas of the country,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office after a weekly federal cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.The cabinet was given a detailed presentation on the CPEC including various projects being undertaken in energy sector, infrastructure, industrial cooperation and …

https://pakobserver.net/pakistan-tajikistan-and-cpec/

Pakistan, Tajikistan and CPECApril 4, 2018

Navid Aman KhanRepublic of Tajikistan, formerly part of the {erstwhile} Soviet Union, has an area of 143,100 square kilometers and a population of 7.5 million. This beautiful country borders with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Afghanistan and China. It is separated from Pakistan by the Wakhan Corridor in north-eastern Afghanistan. This narrow strip of Afghan territory acts as a barrier between Central Asia and Pakistan, while stretching westwards to link Afghanistan with China. Afghanistan remains buffer between the two powers. That is why no territory previously under the British Raj touched Central Asia directly.The development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the larger One Belt One Road Initiative provides Pakistan access to Tajikistan from Gilgit-Baltistan via China using the Karakorum Highway. Pakistan is able to bypass Afghanistan to access Tajikistan. This also implies that Taj…