By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Jan Achakzai, a geopolitical analyst and a politician from Balochistan, appreciates the development by Iron Brother China in Xinjiang.
He said western media will hardly report great strides of China’s success in development, grass root transformation and poverty alleviation of its once most underdeveloped Xinjiang.
“China has done marvels over the last decades by reducing poverty lifting over 100 million people out of misery. The governance has delivered in terms of creating an enabling environment through special focus on infrastructure development, energy self-sufficiency, and human development. And it matters for Pakistan,” he said.
He added, “For Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, the Chinese success in poverty alleviation and improving under developed areas is a role model. Being the poorest of Pakistan’s provinces, Balochistan’s poverty level, according to UNDP estimates, is around 70%. As Islamabad is prioritizing fundamental pillars of the economic take off, investment in infrastructure, energy and human development, a development-led governance model should be adopted in smaller provinces like Balochistan.” He said another field where Pakistan can learn from the Chinese experience in Xinjiang was tourism promotion. “Tourism could be lucrative for Balochistan as it boasts best places to attract tourists from the world. China has particularly focused on this sector in Xinjiang,” he remarked.
Overall statistics show that China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has seen a positive trend in economic development and people’s livelihoods have significantly improved.
Noting that development is an important foundation for lasting peace and stability in Xinjiang, Chinese President Xi Jinping recently at the third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang underlined the need to fully and faithfully implement the CPC’s policies on governing Xinjiang for the new era.
Xi demanded law-based governance and long-term efforts to develop Xinjiang into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment.
