"Controversy Erupts Pakistani Prime Minister Tweets Despite Nationwide Ban on X"

[Dalit]

I came from a business family from Pakistan and settled in the U.S. with extended family in Dubai, Canada, and the UK; the UK branch of the family is very well-known as my grandfather lived there before the partition and moved his brothers there to establish several businesses.

We own and operate plazas, gas stations, apartment buildings, and fast-food restaurants in the States. My father sold many assets back in Pakistan to start this in the 1980s. I was given partial control 15 years ago. I turned it into a family office, connected with doctors and other like-minded individuals, and started a private equity fund (also Family Offices) and risk management business.

Bajwa was the reason why CPEC didn't live upto its potential. Incompetent Asim Munir is now following in the same footsteps. It is all falling apart in Pakistan.

Pakistan is an IMF client at best. Pakistan is drowning in colossal debt. All neighboring countries are pulling ahead.

 

[PakFactor]

The IMEC is on the same pedestal as CPEC in terms of vaporware & regional integration
India is already connected to Israel and Middle East. The main objective is to probably bring in Israel which is not possible without Saudi blessings. That is linked to two state solution for the Palestine

The Saudis and others do not really care about a two- or one-state solution; they want Israel to finish the job and get rid of this constant headache called Palestine. IMEC is progressing as it should; the groundwork for software integration between Dubai and India is being tested to digitalize the processes from departure and clearance. Last round, Dubai invested $500 million to test it out, and now a deal worth $3 billion was signed.

Yes, the end goal is Israel and then to the West, but also Africa; do not forget them. As soon as this conflict is done.

 

[PakFactor]

Bajwa was the reason why CPEC didn't live upto its potential. Incompetent Asim Munir is now following in the same footsteps. It is all falling apart in Pakistan.

CPEC was inherently a failed project from the get-go.

 

[Dalit]

CPEC wasn't inherently a failed project from the get-go.

Absolutely. CPEC was gift for a godforsaken country like Pakistan. It was too good to be true. In the end we did what we always do. Screw up and destroy things. Pakistan couldn't benefit from Chinese assistance. Balochistan is burning and these khaki wearing fools are clueless.

Just look at the state of the economy. It is shambolic. Nero was playing the fiddle while his city went up in flames.

Before I forget, Arab habibis would walk over dead Pakistanis without breaking a sweat. Arab habibis have shown their true colors during the Palestinian conflict and long before that with the Abraham Accords.

 

[PakFactor]

Absolutely. CPEC was gift for a godforsaken country like Pakistan. It was too good to be true. In the end we did what we always do. Screw up and destroy things. Pakistan couldn't benefit from Chinese assistance. Balochistan is burning and these khaki wearing fools are clueless.

I want to refer you to this report from the World Bank in 2021. Several points were made in this report:

- $ 3 billion to expand Karachi & possibly even Port Qasim, creating a deeper channel and expanding the berth(s) at both ports. There would have been no need for a multi-billion dollar new port.

- $ 300-400 million to expand the road and rail network and connect it to the national highway system.

- Bring in outside investors to expand the capacity handling capability of Karachi and Qasim Ports.

The other main issue I mentioned before is that Gwadar has no strong population base and no incentive for anyone to move there.

Karachi is the economy's center of gravity, and whether you hate it or love it, it will remain so for the foreseeable future. It can't be replaced with a port in the middle of nowhere, which is why the port failed to attract any traffic, along with a poor road network.

At most, Gwadar should have just been a Naval Base of the Pakistan Navy.

Hence, why I said, my contacts said there was no economic or technical scope done, and China's blind trust got them stuck in this failed project.

https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/568641635829707091/pdf/Pakistan-Karachi-Ports-Supply-and-Demand-Assessment.pdf

 

[PakFactor]

@Dalit

Here is an important excerpt:

Another option is Gwadar. But its track record is poor. Gwadar has failed to attract traffic from Karachi or Qasim over the 15 years since it was opened. It is located far away from the main centers of economic activity in Karachi and the north, and the modest volumes of bulk traffic that have been unloaded at Gwadar had to be trucked back to Karachi, the port it normally uses, at great expense. Also, Gwadar’s only container service, run by COSCO, the top Chinese shipping line, has handled minimal cargo at the Gwadar terminal. Gwadar’s FTZ, opened in 2016, has attracted no significant investment; the road and rail links to centers of economic activity remain poor 15 years after the port opened; its working population is small, consisting mostly of fishermen and security is poor.

 

[PoKeMon]

I am in a couple of meetings today, so I will respond with a short answer:

The India-Middle East Economic Corridor, a U.S.-backed initiative, is set to connect Arabs, Indians, and Israel. This ambitious plan involves Israel upgrading its ports to become a local hub for the West, which could significantly alter the region's economic landscape. This plan effectively cuts China as a primary link and hands it to India, positioning India as a new economic hub. This makes more sense now as India has multiple critical sectors for Europe, North America, and South America, ranging from IT, Pharmaceutical, and small manufacturing to large industrial manufacturing. The Arabs are investing in petrochemicals to the tune of billions and upgrading India and their ports. Western companies are slowly moving high-tech manufacturing out of China and into India.

This, coupled with U.S. and European agencies establishing offices in India to comply with Western standards and inspections, means USDA, FDA, IRS, and other agencies are actively on the field in India and the GCC.

I have old classmates right now, traveling back and forth and working for those agencies, and I am up to date with the work being done.

So, CPEC was nothing but a vanity project; the only simple question they should've been asked was this: What good is this port if you can't be a significant manufacturing hub or regional economic power? As you mentioned, just being a transit route isn't enough. Lastly, there was no vision to really bring on GCC into this plan, and Dubai saw this as a challenge to it's vision of becoming an economic hub. So, instead, they choose India; that's as close as you can get to someone spitting in your face internationally, and not one dollar was sent Pakistan's way.

Pakistan need to come out first from a toll fee collector mindset.

 

[Dalit]

@Dalit

Here is an important excerpt:

Another option is Gwadar. But its track record is poor. Gwadar has failed to attract traffic from Karachi or Qasim over the 15 years since it was opened. It is located far away from the main centers of economic activity in Karachi and the north, and the modest volumes of bulk traffic that have been unloaded at Gwadar had to be trucked back to Karachi, the port it normally uses, at great expense. Also, Gwadar’s only container service, run by COSCO, the top Chinese shipping line, has handled minimal cargo at the Gwadar terminal. Gwadar’s FTZ, opened in 2016, has attracted no significant investment; the road and rail links to centers of economic activity remain poor 15 years after the port opened; its working population is small, consisting mostly of fishermen and security is poor.

Pakistan isn't Singapore. Look around Pakistan. It only has enemies and ill wishers. Even those that claim to be brothers. When you have so many bad actors and ill wishers you better be extraordinary to navigate your way through the mess. If not, this is exactly how things end up.

 

[nahtanbob]

The Saudis and others do not really care about a two- or one-state solution; they want Israel to finish the job and get rid of this constant headache called Palestine. IMEC is progressing as it should; the groundwork for software integration between Dubai and India is being tested to digitalize the processes from departure and clearance. Last round, Dubai invested $500 million to test it out, and no deal worth $3 billion was signed.

Yes, the end goal is Israel and then to the West, but also Africa; do not forget them. As soon as this conflict is done.

You may have a point on the 1 or 2 state solution. But the Saudis want a solution.

India and UAE economic integration has nothing to do with the overall IMEC project.

There is no reason why trade from Africa is routed through IMEC.

 

[nahtanbob]

Pakistan need to come out first from a toll fee collector mindset.

It is in their DNA

 

[vsdoc]

@Dalit

Here is an important excerpt:

Another option is Gwadar. But its track record is poor. Gwadar has failed to attract traffic from Karachi or Qasim over the 15 years since it was opened. It is located far away from the main centers of economic activity in Karachi and the north, and the modest volumes of bulk traffic that have been unloaded at Gwadar had to be trucked back to Karachi, the port it normally uses, at great expense. Also, Gwadar’s only container service, run by COSCO, the top Chinese shipping line, has handled minimal cargo at the Gwadar terminal. Gwadar’s FTZ, opened in 2016, has attracted no significant investment; the road and rail links to centers of economic activity remain poor 15 years after the port opened; its working population is small, consisting mostly of fishermen and security is poor.

Wow. This is seriously news to me. The distance is not insignificant.

 

[Cash gk]

I am in a couple of meetings today, so I will respond with a short answer:

The India-Middle East Economic Corridor, a U.S.-backed initiative, is set to connect Arabs, Indians, and Israel. This ambitious plan involves Israel upgrading its ports to become a local hub for the West, which could significantly alter the region's economic landscape. This plan effectively cuts China as a primary link and hands it to India, positioning India as a new economic hub. This makes more sense now as India has multiple critical sectors for Europe, North America, and South America, ranging from IT, Pharmaceutical, and small manufacturing to large industrial manufacturing. The Arabs are investing in petrochemicals to the tune of billions and upgrading India and their ports. Western companies are slowly moving high-tech manufacturing out of China and into India.

This, coupled with U.S. and European agencies establishing offices in India to comply with Western standards and inspections, means USDA, FDA, IRS, and other agencies are actively on the field in India and the GCC.

I have old classmates right now, traveling back and forth and working for those agencies, and I am up to date with the work being done.

So, CPEC was nothing but a vanity project; the only simple question they should've been asked was this: What good is this port if you can't be a significant manufacturing hub or regional economic power? As you mentioned, just being a transit route isn't enough. Lastly, there was no vision to really bring on GCC into this plan, and Dubai saw this as a challenge to it's vision of becoming an economic hub. So, instead, they choose India; that's as close as you can get to someone spitting in your face internationally, and not one dollar was sent Pakistan's way.

Route 1: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)​

Route Description:

• Start: The route begins in China's western regions, such as Xinjiang.
• Path: From China, it moves southward through the Karakoram Highway into Pakistan, passing through Gilgit-Baltistan.
• End: The route concludes at the port of Gwadar in Pakistan, located on the Arabian Sea.

Purpose and Advantages:

• Organic Connectivity: This route is particularly advantageous for China's less developed western regions and the landlocked Central Asian states. It provides these regions with direct access to the Arabian Sea, facilitating global trade.
• Shorter Route: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) offers a shorter, more efficient route to global markets, reducing transportation costs and time.
• Stability: Although there are security challenges, the route is relatively more stable compared to the India-Middle East Economic Corridor, given the historical cooperation between China and Pakistan.
• 
  

Route 2: India-Middle East-Europe Corridor​

Route Description:

• Start: The route begins at ports in India, where goods are loaded onto ships.
• Path: Ships transport goods to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From Dubai, the goods are transported by land through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Syria, before reaching Turkey.
• End: The route connects with Europe via Turkey.

Challenges:

• Time-Consuming: The process of unloading ships in Dubai and reloading goods for land transport adds significant time and cost.
• Security Concerns: This route passes through regions with ongoing conflicts, particularly in Syria, Jordan, and Israel, making it less secure and potentially unstable.
• Complex Logistics: The need to coordinate between multiple countries with varying infrastructure and political situations further complicates this route.

Visual Representation:​

• CPEC Route (Marked in Green): Draw a green line starting from Xinjiang, China, moving down through northern Pakistan, and ending at Gwadar. The line should highlight the directness and organic nature of the route.
• India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (Marked in Red): a red line starting from India's west coast, moving via the sea to Dubai, and then progressing by land through the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Syria, before reaching Turkey. This line should emphasize the detours and multiple stages involved in the route. Most importantly turkey has refused to be part of this corridor.

Conclusion:​

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is positioned to be a more efficient and organic route, benefiting both China's western regions and Central Asian states by providing quicker access to global markets. In contrast, the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, while ambitious, faces significant challenges due to the need for multiple stages of loading and unloading, and the security issues in the war-torn regions it passes through.

 

[Cash gk]

Son of whore is sucking Arabs masters balls he is will be charged with treason and article 6 as his party won only 17 seats. How on earth he became pm with 17 seats..

 

[Kambojaric]

Goodness that tweet is so cringy.

If being cringy was an Olympic sport, Shahbaz would have gold medals equalling Phelps.

 

[Michael]

@Dalit

Here is an important excerpt:

Another option is Gwadar. But its track record is poor. Gwadar has failed to attract traffic from Karachi or Qasim over the 15 years since it was opened. It is located far away from the main centers of economic activity in Karachi and the north, and the modest volumes of bulk traffic that have been unloaded at Gwadar had to be trucked back to Karachi, the port it normally uses, at great expense. Also, Gwadar’s only container service, run by COSCO, the top Chinese shipping line, has handled minimal cargo at the Gwadar terminal. Gwadar’s FTZ, opened in 2016, has attracted no significant investment; the road and rail links to centers of economic activity remain poor 15 years after the port opened; its working population is small, consisting mostly of fishermen and security is poor.

I don't know how the CPEC plan is expressed in Pakistan, but in Chinese, Gwadar's goal is a special economic zone.

In the CPEC plan, Gwadar is ultimately positioned as a special economic zone similar to Shenzhen, China.

Shenzhen is nominally under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, but in fact it is directly under the jurisdiction of the central government, and it has a very large right of economic autonomy. In the early days of Shenzhen's development, Chinese were severely restricted from entering the area, requiring a special document to enter, until this restriction was lifted in recent years.

It is precisely because of many special policy supports that Shenzhen can develop rapidly. Now, Shenzhen is driving the economic development of the entire Guangdong Province, making Guangdong the richest region in China. There are a lot of Chinese companies you know (Huawei, DJI, Tencent, BYD, SF Express........... ), all developed in this environment.

This model is not suitable for the development of a traditional commercial city like Karachi, it can only be Gwadar. ----------- the high cost of demolition and redevelopment in traditional business districts

CPEC plans to build Gwadar City into a highly developed area through the construction of the Gwadar Special Economic Zone first, and then drive the economic development of the surrounding areas through its influence.

I think that judging from the scale of Chinese investment in Gwadar, this plan should have been proposed by the Pakistani government at the beginning.

The Chinese government is well aware of the difficulty of building the Gwadar Special Economic Zone. China has sufficient financial resources and capacity-building, but the Pakistani government does not have the capacity to formulate and manage the policies required for such planning. The Chinese Government has also consistently insisted on non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

This is probably how Gwadar's embarrassment today came about.