South Asia Investor Review

In a 2018 New York Times Op Ed titled " How Not to Engage With Pakistan ",  ex US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard G. Olson wrote: "Its (CPEC's) magnitude and its transformation of parts of Pakistan dwarf anything the United States has ever undertaken". Among the parts of Pakistan being transformed by China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are some of the  least developed regions  in Balochistan and Sindh, specifically Gwadar and Thar Desert. Over 70% of Thar desert's population is Hindu.  Tharparkar: Road Built Under CPEC. Source: Emmanuel Guddu More recently, Pakistani architect and social activist Arif Hasan has detailed the socioeconomic impact of new infrastructure in Tharparkar district, further reinforcing what Ambassador Olson wrote about how CPEC is transforming Pakistan's least developed areas. In his book titled "Tharparkar: Drought, Development, and Social Change", author Arif Hasan has highlighted the following (excerpted from Arif ...

New roads, an airport and a water reservoir in Tharparkar are opening up Pakistan's  least developed region . Jobs are being created, drought-resistant nutritious trees and crops being planted and fish farms being established for the benefit of the the people of Thar. New water pond is attracting migratory birds that feed on fish.  Tharparkar Peacock Underground Water:   Fortunately for the people of Thar, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company has discovered significant amount of underground water, the most precious commodity in drought-hit  Tharparkar region  of Pakistan.  Syed Abul Fazal Rizvi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SECMC and Thar Foundation was quoted by  Business Recorder  as saying, “While carrying out hydrogeological studies for Thar coal project, we found out abundant water reserves of groundwater at the depth of 450 plus feet in the whole of the desert region." The available water in Thar has the potential to irrigate thousands o...

In a New York Times Op Ed titled " How Not to Engage With Pakistan ",  ex US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard G. Olson says "Its (CPEC's) magnitude and its transformation of parts of Pakistan dwarf anything the United States has ever undertaken".  Olson goes on to warn the  Trump Administration  that "Without  Pakistani cooperation , our (US) army in Afghanistan risks becoming a beached whale". Among the parts of Pakistan being transformed by China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are some of the least developed regions in Balochistan and Sindh, specifically Gwadar and Thar Desert. Here is more on these regions: Gwadar Port City: Gwadar is booming. It's being called the  next Shenzhen  by some and  the next Hong Kong  by others as an emerging new port city in the region to  rival Dubai . Land prices in Gwadar are skyrocketing, according to  media reports . Gwadar Airport  air traffic growth  of 73% was the fastest of ...

As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl today, the  Thar development boom  is empowering Pakistani Hindu  women with jobs in nontraditional occupations  ranging from engineering to truck driving, according to multiple media reports. These pioneering women will hopefully be a source of inspiration for young girls. Thar Development: Thar, one of the least developed regions of Pakistan, is seeing unprecedented development activity in energy and infrastructure projects.  New roads, airports and buildings are being built along with  coal mines and power plants  as part of  China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) . There are construction workers and machinery visible everywhere in the desert. Among the key beneficiaries of this boom are  Thari Hindu  women who are being employed by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) as part of the plan to employ locals. Highlighted in recent news reports are two Hindu women in partic...