Mr. Burzine Waghmar (SOAS) speaking during EFSAS Seminar in EU Parliament
07-11-2018, Brussels
Mr. Burzine Waghmar, Member of SOAS, University of London, Centre for the Study of Pakistan, Centre for Iranian Studies, and London Middle East Institute and EFSAS Research Fellow began his speech by quoting the American Analyst of Pakistani Studies, Christine Fair, who described the CPEC project as, ‘Colonizing Pakistan to Enrich China’. He examined in depth the historical genesis of the erstwhile Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir and the evolution of Sino-Pak relations. Mr. Waghmar said that it is necessary for Europe to begin to pay attention to Chinese expansionist designs, since Beijing is drafting its own parallel system of rules that can be seen mainly through its Belt and Road Initiative. He further observed that Gilgit Baltistan’s arable land stands at just 1% and its population, per the 1998 census, is just under 2 million and asked where the Hunza, Burusho and other settled indigenous population will go when outside investors come in to parcel out this hilly area whose alpine ecosystem will be exposed to immense industrial upheavals and pollutants as never before in its history. Concluding his detailed presentation, Mr. Waghmar compared Pakistan to a Greek tragedy and added that Chinese lending is usually murky, resulting in antagonizing those very societies by debt restructuring and graft, and that Beijing lends, but never disburses grants, at rates anything but concessional with the rider and the condition that Chinese companies must solely be involved in such businesses.
Mr. Burzine Waghmar (SOAS) speaking during EFSAS Seminar in EU Parliament
