Our right to development, CPEC and Pakistan – I
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Water is absolutely essential commodity for human beings; and like other countries, Pakistan also needs water. However, it doesn't give them a right to dig a well in the front garden of a weak neighbour to meet their water requirement. In any case, why should I allow my unfriendly, uncaring and greedy neighbour to dig a well in my garden when I know for sure he will not allow my wife and children to drink water from there? He needs to learn not to usurp rights and properties of others.
Our Right to development
A right to development is a fundamental human right, because it is essential for the development of human societies. A right to development enables human beings to obtain other fundamental rights. My right to development is not and must not be subservient to the right of development of my stronger neighbour.
In 1986 the UN General Assembly passed Declaration on the Right to Development, according to which right to development is an ‘inalienable' human right of ‘every human person' and ‘all peoples'. Furthermore, people have right to exercise ‘full and complete sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources'.
This Declaration defined development as:
‘A comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process, which aims at the constant improvement of the well being of the entire population and of all individuals'.1
Development is indispensable means to acquire greater human rights; but where governments or occupying authorities deliberately deny people a right to development, it means they want to ensure that people do not enjoy other fundamental rights. It is believed that the ‘development is vital to eliminating the structural causes of human rights denials, violations and abuses'. 2
We people of Jammu and Kashmir also have a right to development; however, it is sad that our right to development is subject to Pakistan's approval. In other words no development project, no matter how desperately we need it, can be initiated in so called Azad Kashmir and in Gilgit Baltistan until it is approved by Pakistan. Apart from that, Lent Officers of Pakistan (senior officers of Pakistan appointed by Pakistan against our will to control their colony) who are real rulers of these colonies decide what is good for us.
The Declaration says people have a legitimate right to exercise ‘full and complete sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources'. But how can you exercise this right when you have so called ‘big brother', ‘well wisher' and imperialist minded neighbour like Pakistan. The ruling elite and the establishment of Pakistan have learnt to wage aggressive wars, loot, plunder and exploit resources of others; and at times, resources of other provinces, as in the case of East Pakistan and Balochistan.
Pakistani policy on development inside Pakistan could be different to what they practice in Gilgit Baltistan and in Pakistani Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Take example of Neelam Jhelum Hydropower Project, which is being built against wishes of the people of POJK. I have written together with other concerned people that this project which will only benefit Pakistan will bring an environmental disaster to citizens of Districts Muzaffarabad and Neelam. I was strongly criticised for speaking about this exploitation. One citizen of Muzaffarabad had 2 visits from the secret agencies who told him to shut up or face consequences.
According to a report of Daily Times, Pakistan's Ministry of Planning and WAPDA were not interested in environmental assessment of this project. The report further says:
‘The Azad Jammu & Kashmir government has told the federal government several times that the clauses in the agreement must be implemented, yet the Ministry of Planning and WAPDA did not pay heed to the environmental impact of the project. The documentary evidence that was revealed to the Daily Times showed that it was necessary to obtain the final approval from the Environmental Agency of the AJK government for the project. The use of earth moving machinery being used for the project is also producing large scale pollution in the area; severely affecting the natural greenery. In this regard, the Ministry of Environmental Change has also expressed its apprehension on the standard of the machinery being used on the project'. 3
Readers may be interested to know that this Project was approved on December 31, 1989 by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC); and should have been completed many years ago, but due to mismanagement it is still not completed.
Every house hold of POJK has to pay around Rs 20 per month for the construction of this Project, even though all 969 MW electricity will go to Pakistan; and we will only pick up environmental problems. Also readers should know that the original PC-1of this Project put cost of the project at Rs18 billion. During the Musharaf era, the ECNEC revised the PC-1 in 2002 and the cost increased from Rs18 billion to Rs84 billion with a new completion date of 2008. In July 2013, ECNEC revised the PC-1again the cost dramatically increased from Rs84 billion to Rs274 billion. In March 2015, the PC1 was once again revised and the cost increased to Rs 414 billion. Farrukh Saleem, a Pakistani economist writes:
‘We started from Rs18 billion and have so far spent around Rs500 billion and the project is yet not complete…There are other projects like the Nandipur Power Project and the new Islamabad Airport. To be certain, not all of it is corruption. The Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project is a 28-year long story of gross incompetence and rampant corruption. And that, unfortunately, is also the story of Pakistan'. 4
CPEC and Gilgit Baltistan
As stated at the start, I support Pakistan's right to development; but question is do they support my right to development and my right to life? They can call me selfish, anti Pakistan, anti Islam, agent of India, agent of America, agent of Britain, agent of Israel, agent of Iran, agent of Afghanistan or whoever else; however, they should not expect unconditional support and loyalty from me.
My unconditional loyalty is only to my family, my village, my district and my State of Jammu and Kashmir; for everyone else it has to be reciprocated. If Pakistani people and the ruling elite don't accept my right to life and my right to development; they must not expect any support from me or from any other loyal son of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Copenhagen Declaration of the World Summit on Social Development says, ‘There must be transparency in the development process based upon freedom of information and right to know'. In Pakistan and especially in the areas occupied by Pakistan good governance and transparency is extremely bad; and people are denied of their fundamental rights.
Pakistan has no direct land access with China. From the Chinese territory, the CPEC first enters territory of Gilgit Baltistan, legally not part of Pakistan; and runs through this disputed and volatile region before it enters Pakistan. Without control or occupation of these areas, Pakistan could not have the CPEC.
Pakistanis claim the CPEC is their life line and it is a game changer, but how sad that fate of people of Gilgit Baltistan will not change, even with the CPEC. Islamabad's appointed puppet government do not know details of the CPEC. At no time they were consulted or even properly informed what was going on in name of the CPEC. All the signs are that it is going to get worse for them, as the rulers of Pakistan in order to show they have total control of these areas and there is no danger to the Chinese investment, are going to be even more harsh and oppressive.
Instead of taking people of Gilgit Baltistan on board or giving some benefits to the impoverished people who have been suffering under the Pakistani occupation and oppression since 1947, Pakistani governments are setting up more army camps and centres for secret agencies. Army and secret agencies do not set up their camps and centres to promote human rights issues and empower the local people. Their main task is to oppress and intimidate local people that they do not speak out against Pakistani rule and the CPEC which will further strengthen the hold of Pakistan and China.
The Chinese have little concern about human rights issues. They don't even care much about plight of their own people. Their priority is economic, military and strategic objectives and not how Pakistan treats their own people or people of Gilgit Baltistan, as long as there is no serious law and order situation which can endanger the CPEC.
Due to the CPEC and its hidden agenda the region of Gilgit Baltistan has once again become centre of international attention. On one hand there is China and Pakistan and those who support the CPEC; and on the other hand are those who oppose the CPEC. Those who oppose the CPEC fall in to two categories:
1/ those who believe that the CPEC and Gwadar will endanger their economic interests;
2/ those who strongly believe that the CPEC is not just an economic project, because it has a big hidden agenda?
The hidden agenda also has more than one dimension.
A/ Encirclement of India;
B/ Strategic agenda;
C/ Control of Arabian Sea;
D/ Influence and dominance of the Indian Ocean;
E/ To counter the American threat in the South China Sea, create an alternative route for China in case of trouble in South China Sea;
F/ Block the supply of goods by blocking or disrupting maritime traffic from and to the Persian Gulf.
(Writer is a political analyst, TV anchor and author. Also he is Chairman South Asia Watch and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs. Email:drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com)
