China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a comprehensive development programme which would play a crucial role in improving the economic and strategic environment of the region.  The project links Pakistan’s Gwadar Port to China’s north-western region of Xinjiang through highways, motorways and gas pipelines. The Corridor is of immense significance not only for Pakistan and China but also for other regional countries, in terms of economic and social development, particularly Afghanistan. The CPEC also connects China to Europe and Middle East through Pakistan.  The implementation of the project would bring economic revolution as well as change the fate of the regional countries.

As an immediate neighbor, sharing a long border with Pakistan, Afghanistan will, indeed, be a major beneficiary of the economic corridor as its completion will also contribute to the economic prosperity of Afghanistan. Pakistan wants to see Afghanistan a peaceful and prosperous country and is making efforts to improve road connectivity with Afghanistan as both the countries have shared future and goals.  In this article, I would like to explain how Afghanistan can be a major beneficiary of CPEC particularly its two alignments. The western alignment of the corridor which originates from Gwadar and runs through Khuzdar, Zhob and finally reaches Islamabad via D.I. Khan.  In fact, the western alignment will have an additional connectivity to link Afghanistan through Chaman. This route will provide an easy and short access to Afghanistan to reach to the sea port of Gwadar which is almost 600 kilometer shorter than the existing transit route being used by the traders and people of Afghanistan.  This link will tremendously help facilitating and promoting trade between the two neighbouring countries as well as reducing travelling time. It is worth- stating here that the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) has already completed 502 kilometer length of the 870 km western alignment connecting Gwadar with other parts of the country.

Like the western alignment, the eastern alignment of the corridor will also improve road connectivity between Afghanistan and Pakistan.  This section of the corridor will run from Karachi to Lahore and onward to Islamabad while passing through internal Sindh and parts of southern Punjab. The eastern alignment will pass through the motorways starting from Karachi to Lahore (work on the Karachi-Lahore Motorway has already been commenced) and onward to Islamabad and Abbottabad.  The completion of the motorways’ network  will help to shorten the distance as well as reduce travelling time between the two  neighboring countries.  Besides Afghanistan, businessmen and traders from Central Asian states will also benefit from the corridor as they can easily export their goods to Middle East and European Countries through Gwadar Port. Apart from improving road connectivity, China-Pak Economic Corridor will also generate economic opportunities as well as play a vital role in economic integration of the region and countries like Iran and Central Asian States will be able to benefit from this project. The corridor is, hopefully, destined to bring rapid industrialization as well as greater investment to Pakistan which would have certainly healthy impact on Afghan economy. The Afghan businessmen and traders as well as general public will be in position to capitalize upon the emerging economic opportunities as a result of materialization of the corridor. CPEC has a  greater regional and economic value as it would encourage other regional countries including Central Asian States to follow suit by entering into similar arrangement with China.  The project has enormous potential to reshape the economic outlook of the regional countries.  

Improving road connectivity and infrastructure development in Afghanistan are the major priorities of Pakistan.  In this regard, Pakistan has undertaken a number of projects including 75Km Torkham-Jalalabad Road and 46 km road between Peshawar and Torkham. The Peshawar-Torkham road has almost been completed whereas the second lane of Jalalabad-Torkham road will, hopefully, be completed within a year. In order to further facilitate Afghan transit trade and boost Pak-Afghan trade, Pakistan has constructed two roads leading from D.I. Khan to Angoor Adda and Ghulam Khan linking Paktika and Khost provinces of Afghanistan respectively. These strategic trade links, built by Pakistan, will enormously facilitate the trade and transit links between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Apart from the above-mentioned roads, plans are afoot to construct motorway between Kabul and Peshawar and the homework on this project has already started. Similarly, laying Railway lines between Peshawar and Jalalabad and Chaman and Spin Boldak is also the priority of Government of Pakistan. The completion of these projects, in the years ahead, would tremendously contribute towards the social and economic prosperity of Afghanistan. In addition to the road infrastructure, Pakistan has been playing active role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan and has built hospitals and educational institutions.  Pakistan completed these projects despite its own financial problems as the war on terror has inflicted US$110 billion losses on Pakistan’s economy. The construction of these projects reflects the sincere endeavours made by Pakistan for the rebuilding of Afghanistan. It also shows the high degree of importance being attached by Pakistan to its ties with Afghanistan.

In view of the emerging favourable economic predicament, both neighbouring countries are required to further strengthen their ties and capitalize on the economic opportunities to be generated by the China-Pak Economic Corridor. It is high time that both sides need to join hands to work together for economic development as well as make determined efforts to overcome the challenges of militancy, terrorism and social and economic impoverishment being confronted by the two countries.