CEPC: PERSPECTIVES FROM GILGITBALTISTAN, A CONNECTION BETWEEN CHINA AND PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper takes into account the local perception of "development," which in accordance to CPEC is synonymous with the building of roads and infrastructure. The term "local" denotes that how the popular wisdom in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) translates the meaning of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and how do the people make sense of this mega project  essentially a subaltern perspective on "development." The researchers aim to evaluate how the local perception of development is different from the state-led, positivist version of building corridors and infrastructure. The research also takes into account the ambivalences arising out of social migration and increasing cross-cultural contact between people. By assessing these popular perceptions, the researchers try to fill an important research gap in the available literature which is otherwise dominated by the mainstream discourse related to CPEC the one which paints the project as the savior and panacea for the ills of the country (i.e., Pakistan). Apart from secondary sources, primary sources of different style like open ended interviews have been used to have an insight of the topic's understanding. As the topic is new and sufficient materials have not been available, therefore, newspapers and articles were the main sources to gather information. GB became very important because it connects China and Pakistan for a joint project of huge, economic, social, political and strategic value, and still it is not part of Pakistan's federation constitutionally like other parts of Pakistan and is considered as a disputed area between Pakistan and India.